Justice: State Expected to Wrap Up Assisted Living Facility Vaccinations on Monday

In an online briefing Friday afternoon, Gov. Jim Justice said the state is on pace to wrap up COVID-19 vaccinations in assisted living facilities by Monday, then move on to "vaccinating … the vaccinators."

"Primary care providers, rural health clinics, free clinics, home health, hospice providers, urgent cares and federally qualified health centers will receive these vaccines this week," Justice said. "By focusing on these people, we can keep the engine running to where we can take care of our people."

West Virginia continues to lead the nation in rate of vaccination, with just over 47 percent of its nearly 61,000 doses administered, Justice said. Maine is the next closest state, with 28 percent.

But the state's Rt number – which shows the rate at which the virus is spreading in the community – was 1.19, "the second-worst in the entire country," the governor said.

Justice read the ages and home counties of 55 West Virginians whose deaths had been attributed to COVID since Wednesday's briefing. He said the numbers were one reason he wanted to hold a briefing Friday, because the total could top 100 by Monday.

Justice thanked the people who were working on Christmas, including health care workers and state Department of Transportation personnel clearing snow from roads.

DHHR Secretary Bill J. Crouch praised the people continuing to investigate outbreaks and trace contacts, even on the holiday, in an effort to prevent further spread of the virus.

"Pandemics don't stop for holidays," he said.

The Northern Panhandle's four counties remained in "red" on Friday's Department of Health and Human Resources COVID-19 alert map. Ohio County had an infection rate of 70.37 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 9.01.

The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department had not updated its numbers for Friday, but in its Thursday numbers, it reported 42 new positive cases, bringing the county's totals to 2,491 positive cases and 37 deaths.

Marshall County had an infection rate of 48.66 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 8.75 on Friday's map. Hancock County had an infection rate of 96.20 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 16.64. Brooke County had an infection rate of 90.51 cases per 100,000 residents and a percent positivity of 12.93.