There was considerable build up to Governor Jim Justice’s message to the state Saturday night about the state’s response to the pandemic. Afterward, some were left wondering, “Is that it?”
It is true there was no “significant announcement.” However, what Justice and Dr. Clay Marsh said was, in fact, critically important. (Read more here from Brad McElhinny.)
We might, just might, be able to flatten the curve and hold the flow of cases to a river instead of a tsunami if we continue and expand the practices state and health officials have been emphasizing for the last two weeks.
Dr. Marsh believes working from home, avoiding groups, social distancing, good hygiene, all combined with the rural nature of our state and our geography have slowed the spread here. We are the exact opposite of New York City, which is being overwhelmed.
But it is also evident that West Virginia is at a critical juncture in its fight against COVID-19. Justice said West Virginians need to do more of what is working.
“We know that there’s been bingo halls open and gatherings happening in an unsafe way and it has to stop now,” Justice said. “This is truly real. It’s the event of all of our lifetimes unlike any that we’ve seen before.”
In short, this was a final warning from Justice before the next step, which would be a shutdown.
“If we’re going to keep our state open, our businesses need to let our people work from home,” Justice said. “Our power is in our ability to stay apart. As we stay apart, and the numbers flatten out, then our healthcare systems can take care of us.”
Administration officials and health experts spent Saturday contemplating the options, and a shutdown was on the table. It remains an option, and these next few days are going to be crucial.
So much depends on the data. If the number of cases in West Virginia begins to rise exponentially indicating significant community spread, then a complete shutdown is inevitable. However, if best practices keep the flow of patients to a manageable number, then West Virginia may be able to escape the fate of some other parts of the country.
The Governor and Dr. Marsh have frequently used the word “power” when discussing our response to the pandemic. It’s an interesting choice since an event like this can make us feel powerless.
However, they are right. Each of us is empowered to do the right thing to help curtail the spread of the virus. If we use that power, we have an opportunity to avoid the worst of the pandemic. If not, then West Virginia, which already has a high-risk population, will suffer more serious health and economic consequences.