Gov. Justice says no plans for W.Va. mask mandate, urges more vaccinations

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice said he has no current plans for another mask mandate, but he wondered how comfortable unvaccinated people will be at upcoming, large-scale events.

“Are you not going to have some real anxiety or concern and you haven’t been vaccinated?” the governor asked Monday during his coronavirus news conference.

Justice noted that the state is just weeks away from some big events, including WVU and Marshall football games, fairs and festivals and the State Fair of West Virginia. He said people “are going to be piled on top of people and you know the delta variant is there.”

The governor said the delta variant, considered much more contagious and with the potential to be deadly, is now present in 29 counties.

Justice also expressed concern about some of the state’s rising coronavirus numbers. Active cases, which not that long ago had dipped below 1,000 cases, are at 2,480. Hospitalizations have climbed to 152.

The state’s county alert map, once nearly all green, now has 37 counties out of green and two (Webster and Marshall counties) in red, the most severe color.

Justice again mentioned the Booster Battlefield Assessment, a voluntary program that will be conducted in the state to measure the antibody levels of those 60 and over in the state who had their vaccine shots at least six months ago.

WVU and Marshall will be working with the state Department of Health in Human Resources to gather the data, which he said will be shared with federal agencies and vaccine manufacturers. Justice said this will put West Virginia in a good position if people need a booster vaccine, once it is approved.

As far as outbreaks, the governor said there are five long-term care facilities and 10 churches with virus outbreaks. Corrections currently has two inmates and two staff members with active cases.

The governor also shared some good economic news, saying revenue collections for July were $28.1 million above estimates.

Meanwhile, Justice said the final vaccine incentive drawing in the Do It For Babydog prize giveaways will be this week with two top prizes, $1.588 million and a runner-up prize of $588,000, up for grabs. He said the prize winners will be announced on Thursday.