10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Justice drops some emergency orders, urges more vaccinations

Gov. Jim Justice continued to urge West Virginians to get covid-19 vaccinations during an apparent slowdown while at the same time lifting some of his prior pandemic emergency orders, particularly one limiting social gatherings.

“Come on. Let’s finish the job. We’re really, really close. Let’s win the game right now. Right now. Right now’s the time to win the game,” Justice said today during a pandemic response briefing.

West Virginia has done well enough with its pandemic response to lift some of the emergency orders of the past year, the governor said.

But he also wants enough state residents to get vaccinated to assure a continued return to normal life.

“I just urge them to get their vaccine,” Justice said of state residents.

Justice reflected that he has issued 91 executive orders over the past year and announced he will issue a new one that consolidates and eliminates many of the previous ones.

“These orders were absolutely necessary to keep our people safe, to keep our businesses a float and to keep our state on track to defeat this virus,” he said.

“There was a lot of stuff that was very valuable when we put it in. It’s now lived its time.”

He clarified that the move would not lift a requirement to wear facial coverings in public places. “We absolutely need people to continue their social distancing; we need people to wear their masks.”

But the governor said the change would lift government-mandated limits on social gatherings. He said that’s in line with the resumption of fairs and festivals this summer.

“There’s just not any need to continue on with the limit as far as social gathering,” he said.

Justice and other state health leaders encouraged more West Virginians to get vaccinated for covid-19.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, 50.7 percent of all vaccine-eligible West Virginians ages 16 and older have received at least one dose. Of the entire state population, 41.6 percent have received at least one dose.

But health leaders agree the number of state residents seeking vaccination has slowed. The state’s coronavirus dashboard shows a steady downward trend in vaccinations each week.

Dr. Clay Marsh

“I do believe we are reaching an audience in West Virginia that doesn’t’ have vaccine accessibility or is hesitant or does not want to take vaccine,” Clay Marsh, the state’s coronavirus response coordinator, said today on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”

“We’re certainly trying to help the people who are sitting on the fence choose to be vaccinated.”

James Hoyer

James Hoyer, who leads the vaccination supply effort for the state, said there should be plenty available.

“There should be no issues. We have plenty of vaccines available,” Hoyer said. “Please get vaccinated.”

Lloyd White

The slowdown is apparent at the local level, Marion County Health Administrator Lloyd White said today on “Talk of the Town” on WAJR Radio.

“I think it’s a good thing from the standpoint that anybody who wants the vaccine ought to be able to get it,” White said. “However, the downside of that is, do we have folks who just say I don’t want the vaccine?

“The challenge for us moving forward is, how do we educate folks of the value of the vaccine?”

White said local health officials have already started making plans to reach communities that might have lower access to vaccination clinics. “One of the barriers to healthcare is transportation,” White said.

Governor Justice agreed more work needs to be done to reach people.

He said that includes persuading them.

“I fully expect there to be 250,000 people in the State of West Virginia that just absolutely will turn their nose up at this and say ‘No, no, no, no, no. I knew if I took this I was going to get a brain tumor,'” the governor said at today’s briefing.

Justice cited the example of the girls basketball team he coaches at Greenbrier East High School. The team’s season has been in doubt following a covid case.

“My basketball team. My basketball team. 100 percent of them, in my absence, turned it down,” Justice said.  “I’ve got to do better. You’ve got to do better.”





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