CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State health officials say West Virginia National Guard members have served as “heroes” during the latest Omicron surge of COVID-19, but indicated that a transition is coming this week.
The Guard will wrap up its two-month mission to help with staffing issues at West Virginia hospitals this Friday.
“Now that we see our hospitalizations dropping, it’s important for us to liberate the National Guard for other missions that they have to do,” state Coronvirus Czar Dr. Clay Marsh said during Gov. Jim Justice’s COVID-19 briefing Monday.
Active cases dipped below 2,000 Monday for the first time since late July. The state reported 1,909 active cases and added 12 new deaths.
Hospitalizations stand at 404 including 100 patients in the ICU and 50 patients on ventilators.
On the DHHR’s COVID-19 County Alert Map, 45 of the state’s 55 counties are in the “green,” indicating a low rate of spread. No counties are in the “red” and only one county is in the “orange.”
DHHR reports as of March 7, 2022, there are currently 1,909 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 12 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,452 deaths attributed to COVID-19. https://t.co/bI3zPXcNso pic.twitter.com/BXwmYqAIMx
— WV DH, DHF, and DoHS (@WV_DH_DHF_DoHS) March 7, 2022
The Guard will transition out of its COVID role, in large part, because of a lack of federal funding. State InterAgency Task Force Director Jim Hoyer said some Guard members could stay working at hospitals in a more permanent role.
“We’ve had a number of hospitals interested in hiring National Guard personnel. There will be some job fairs and other things that will go on,” Hoyer said.
Marsh said the Guard left its mark on hospitals when they needed help the most.
“The National Guard served a very critical purpose in going into overwhelmed hospitals and being able to provide them with the support to be able to function with more capacity and with better services,” he said.
Officials did not indicate exactly where the Guard’s next mission will be, but said members will be prepared.
“Whenever we call, they’ll be there,” Justice said. “They’ll be there no matter what it is. They’re the best of the best.”
The transmission rate of Omicron is going down, which Marsh said is a good thing, but that the state will continue to “plan and be ready for whatever the virus does.”
Justice on Monday continued to reassure those who haven’t received their COVID shots that the vaccine is safe and effective.
“6,452 have got COVID and died. I don’t think I’ve ever been told of someone that has been vaccinated and died because of the vaccination,” Justice said.
West Virginia’s vaccination rate is slightly improving with more than 71 percent of those 18 and over who have received at least one dose.
Long-term care facilities have 125 outbreaks, according to the governor. There are no outbreaks in churches. Corrections has 105 active virus cases among inmates and 20 among staff members.
In non-related COVID news, Justice announced Monday he is asking the state’s investment board to strip all its money related to Russia amid the crisis in Ukraine.
Justice said the state only has two-tenths of 1 percent of its investments related to Russia, but that he wants to make sure West Virginia cuts all ties.
“What I’m asking is that our investment committee come together with a resolution that would make it basically unacceptable going forward with any type, with anything to do with Russia until this crisis is way long gone,” he said.
Justice signed an executive order last month calling for a halt on purchases and sales of four Russian-produced liquors in the state.