State adds rapid response for outbreaks as reopening expands

West Virginia is heading toward—dare I say it—the new normal!

Businesses are reopening and people are being called back to work.  Starting next Thursday, non-essential retail stores can open their doors and restaurants can offer inside dining up to 50 percent capacity

Recreational options including whitewater rafting, visits to gyms and health clubs are restarting. The Hatfield McCoy Trail system is reopening along with state park campgrounds.

The rollout comes as the virus numbers for the state continue to show that West Virginians are winning the battle against the pandemic.

Positive test results relevant to the number of tests conducted continue to run well below three percent—the threshold set by Governor Jim Justice when he loosened the shutdown. The R-naught number remains below one, meaning the spread of the disease is reversing.

“The disease is slowing down some,” said West Virginia’s COVID-19 Czar Dr. Clay Marsh.  However, he says it remains “absolutely clear” that we need to continue wearing masks to stay headed in the right direction.

Health officials fear the reopening will produce outbreaks, which is why Justice has ordered DHHR to develop a county alert system.  Dr. Cathy Slemp, the state’s Chief Health Officer, said the system will provide “a consistent way to allow West Virginians to return to work while ensuring that we are monitoring change and when necessary taking steps to prevent resurgence.”

Specifically, if there is a spike over a seven-day rolling test period, local and state health officials will jointly go into action with more testing, contact tracing and public warnings.

“Our real goal here is to ensure early detection of increased spread,” Slemp said.  “It’s really meant to help all of us to see where and when increasing disease rates are occurring and provide an early call to action.”

West Virginia has done a commendable job keeping the virus from getting out of control.  The efforts of health and safety officials as well as individual citizens have cleared the path for reopening, which we need desperately to restart the economy and get people back to work.

However, as Governor Justice repeatedly warns, the virus has not gone away.  If we are willing to continue abiding by the health and safety guidelines we can easily adjust to the new normal and only have to use the new county alert system sparingly.

 

 





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