10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Justice counts on persuading more West Virginians to get vaccinated

Gov. Jim Justice says he has a new mantra to represent the importance of persuading thousands of West Virginians who seem reluctant to get a covid-19 vaccine.

“Beat 588 bad,” Justice said at a briefing today. “That’s my next goal, and that’s what we’ll do.”

He said the number 588,000 represents 40 percent of West Virginia’s population that is eligible for covid-19 vaccination.

“We must reach these people and encourage them to take the vaccine,” Justice said.

West Virginia has administered at least one dose to 687,045 people, according to the state’s coronavirus response dashboard. The state says 520,206 people have been fully vaccinated.

But state and local officials agree that the pace of vaccination has slowed. 

West Virginia’s population is almost 1.8 million. The governor has described about 400,000 state residents below age 16, which is the current cutoff age for vaccination eligibility.

So today he described a total vaccine-eligible population of 1.47 million people.

If 40 percent don’t want to be vaccinated, that would be 588,000 people.

Justice said he doubts the number of people who are resistant to taking the vaccine is as high as 40 percent, though.

“I hope and pray that it’s not right,” the governor said. “From a math standpoint, if we’ve got 588,000 people who are denying the vaccine no matter what then we’re at the end of the rainbow as far as people willing to take the vaccine that are going to come unless we can change their minds. That’s what we need to continue to work on.

“We’ve got at least a population out there that needs our help to try to get them information to where they can feel comfortable to take the vaccine.”

Justice also tried to clarify a changed state guideline about wearing facial coverings while exercising in a public place.

Earlier this week, the governor eliminated the 91 executive orders he had instituted over the course of the pandemic and replaced some continuing state guidance into one new executive order.

The updated guidance adds an exemption to the statewide indoor face covering requirement “so that, if you are actively engaged in physical activity like indoor sports, you do not need to wear a face covering.”

Responding to a couple of questions, Justice tried to describe how that would work in real life situations.

At gyms, people may have a hard time breathing through facial coverings if they are working out, Justice said. So, he said, people actively engaged in exercise would not be expected to wear a mask.

“As soon as you get through with the hard level of exercise,” he said, “without any question I expect you to have your mask back on.”

The governor, who coaches high school girls basketball, was also asked how the change might affect organized sports. He said athletes who are actively competing wouldn’t be expected to wear facial coverings. But he said coaches, staff and reserves on a team should still wear masks.

“That coach isn’t running up and down the floor. The kids on the bench aren’t running up and down the floor,” he said. “We absolutely expect those players to be able to wear their masks, as the coaches should.”





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