Gov. Jim Justice again reiterated Monday the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and said he doesn’t understand people who refuse to get the shot, or shots.
“Why wouldn’t you take this vaccine?” asked Justice during his regular COVID-19 media briefing. “Please don’t listen to that junk out there. You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
Justice said seven people died from COVID-19 complications during the weekend, bringing the total deaths from the virus in West Virginia to 2,325, which represents an 88% decline in the death rate since the beginning of the year.
There were 182 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours, giving the state a total of 5,613 active cases. This is the 51st straight day the number of COVID-19 cases has declined, he said.
Statewide, 178 people are hospitalized because of the virus, with 41 in intensive care. The daily positivity rate is 3.41%.
“It still continues to be a shame that we continue to lose people in the state,” the governor said. “Don’t let these people become a number.”
On a related note, Justice said he has no plans to drop his mandatory mask requirement for people entering public buildings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study last week that mask mandates can slow the spread of the virus. The CDC said mask mandates have helped slow the transmission and reduced the number of new cases – and deaths – as time went on.
“You should still wear a mask with or without the vaccine,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s coronavirus czar. “These are miracle vaccines.”
The state received 35,000 more doses and people 50 and older are now eligible for the shot. Officials said more vaccination pre-registrations are needed in 15 West Virginia counties: Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Gilmer, Grant, McDowell, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Tucker, Tyler, Webster, Wirt and Wyoming.
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