Hoyer: Recent vaccination numbers show hesitancy among residents

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Department of Health and Human Resources reported 400 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday along with eight additional deaths.

Active cases are now at 7,324. There have been 2,808 deaths since the pandemic began.

The eight additional deaths include a 75-year old female from Morgan County, a 57-year old male from Kanawha County, a 78-year old female from Mingo County, a 57-year old male from Logan County, an 81-year old female from Nicholas County, a 78-year old female from Wyoming County, a 72-year old male from Kanawha County, and an 80-year old female from Boone County.

James Hoyer

“We remember all loved ones who have been lost to COVID-19,” state DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch said.

The DHHR reported 1,675 people were vaccinated across the state Wednesday, still way below previous vaccination levels. There have been just more than 529,000 West Virginians totally vaccinated from COVID-19.

“We’re still not there. We’ve clearly hit a vaccine hesitancy point that we’ve got to get our fellow West Virginians past,” retired Adjutant General, InterAgency Task Force on Vaccines Director Jim Hoyer said.

West Virginia has administered at least one dose to 690,057 people, according to the state’s coronavirus response dashboard.

Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday he’s concerned maybe 40% of state residents, 588,000 people. don’t want to be vaccinated.

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

Hoyer said the state is seeking a goal of vaccinating 85% of the 65 and older population. The state is currently at around 74%.

“If we can get there we know from our other data that our death rates have dropped substantially but we’re still losing West Virginians,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer said the state will go where they need to to offer the vaccines.

“Civic groups, churches, athletic teams, businesses, please reach out to us,” Hoyer said.

There were 246 people hospitalized with the virus Thursday with 78 of those patients in intensive care.

Overall COVID-19 cases per county include: Barbour (1,360), Berkeley (11,768), Boone (1,897), Braxton (879), Brooke (2,128), Cabell (8,660), Calhoun (275), Clay (462), Doddridge (555), Fayette (3,301), Gilmer (741), Grant (1,242), Greenbrier (2,659), Hampshire (1,732), Hancock (2,723), Hardy (1,450), Harrison (5,473), Jackson (1,936), Jefferson (4,393), Kanawha (14,238), Lewis (1,144), Lincoln (1,402), Logan (3,011), Marion (4,195), Marshall (3,304), Mason (1,942), McDowell (1,508), Mercer (4,596), Mineral (2,783), Mingo (2,442), Monongalia (8,988), Monroe (1,078), Morgan (1,094), Nicholas (1,530), Ohio (4,062), Pendleton (693), Pleasants (841), Pocahontas (656), Preston (2,819), Putnam (4,854), Raleigh (6,288), Randolph (2,504), Ritchie (667), Roane (588), Summers (773), Taylor (1,204), Tucker (524), Tyler (677), Upshur (1,826), Wayne (2,827), Webster (456), Wetzel (1,224), Wirt (382), Wood (7,600), Wyoming (1,934).





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