Gov. Jim Justice and state health leaders continued to express caution about coronavirus in West Virginia as alarming numbers mount across the nation.
“West Virginia is not immune. There’s no way. West Virginia is not immune to this disease,” Justice said during a Monday briefing.
“In fact, West Virginia is the most vulnerable of all.”
Justice noted that in U.S., the 7-day average of new cases hit the highest level it has ever been — 68,767 — on Sunday.
That included the two worst days of daily new cases reported since the pandemic began. More than 83,000 new cases were reported both Friday and Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
A chart of the reproductive rate has only one state, Mississippi, below 1. If Rt is above 1.0, the virus will spread quickly. When Rt is below 1.0, the virus will stop spreading.
West Virginia was at 1.08 today.
West Virginia had reached 424 deaths related to the coronavirus by Monday, a statistic that prompted Justice to urge continued caution.
“I know it’s tough. I know wearing a mask and everything is a nuisance,” Justice said. “But for crying out loud, compared to people dying how much is it a nuisance in any way?”
West Virginia leaders are particularly concerned about the hospitalization rate. The daily hospitalizations has reached 215, highest since the pandemic began.
Admissions into intensive care units have been trending upward too.
“We are seeing more hospitalizations happen than we’ve seen, I believe, since the covid pandemic started,” said coronavirus response coordinator Clay Marsh.
If West Virginia doesn’t remain cautious, Marsh said, “We could face some of the same issues these other states are facing.”
The caution expressed by West Virginia officials seems to contrast with recent messages from the White House.
During last week’s presidential debate — and several additional times recently — President Donald Trump has said the nation is “rounding the corner” on the coronavirus.
HOPPY KERCHEVAL: No, Mr. President, We Are Not ‘Rounding The Turn’
At least five close aides of Vice President Mike Pence have tested positive for covid-19 in recent days. But Pence, who is head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has continued in-person campaigning. Pence reported testing negative this morning.
And on Sunday morning, White House Chief of Staff went on a cable interview program and said, “We’re not going to control the pandemic. We’re going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations.”
Mark Meadows: “We’re not going to control the pandemic, we are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations.”
Jake Tapper: “Why aren’t we going to get control of the pandemic?”
Meadows: “Because it is a contagious virus” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/1ahyatu6co
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 25, 2020
Asked about those messages in comparison to West Virginia’s message of caution, Justice said he doesn’t think the president has given up on trying to control the pandemic.
“I really don’t think the president’s office is, basically, saying ‘Let’s quit trying to stop this thing. Let’s just figure out how to manage and with therapeutics and vaccines and we’re going to try to go that way’ versus go the way of wearing masks and trying to minimize the exposure or whatever it may be,” Justice said.
The governor said he does not believe the White House message is, “Forget trying to prevent and completely to with vaccines and therapeutics.”
“That’s not the message,” said Justice, a Republican who frequently describes his close relationship with President Trump.
“I do not think his administration is telling us ‘Don’t worry about prevention.’ And I will promise you your governor is telling you — and Dr. Clay Marsh is telling you — the absolute power we have right now to stop this thing or prevent this thing is wearing a mask and doing all the preventative things we’re telling you to do.”
Marsh agreed: “Like the governor, I don’t think the president would say ‘Don’t keep at it.'”
But Marsh also acknowledged that after seven months, some people may be tempted to let up.
“It is very much recognized today that people are very fatigued. The maintenance of rallying everyone around the flag has become more challenging. People are exhausted by all of the requirements and constraints we have put on people,” Marsh said.
“But as the governor has said, we do have a significant power. And that power is to get tested — to make sure you’re not infected and don’t know it.”