West Virginia Governor Jim Justice held a special Christmas Day briefing on Friday to provide an update on the status of the state’s COVID-19 response.
Joining Justice at the briefing was the pandemic response team consisting of State Health Officer Dr. Ayne Amjad, Coronavirus Czar Dr. Clay Marsh, DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch, and Adjutant General of the W.Va. National Guard Maj. Gen. James Hoyer.
Justice began the briefing by saying, “I hope and pray you’re having the merriest of Christmases that you could possibly have.”
Justice went on to offer his appreciation to those on the front lines who willingly sacrificed spending the holiday with their families to remain on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are people that are out there right now and they are really battling. They are battling hard for all of us,” Justice said. “These would be first responders, healthcare workers, long-term care workers, the National Guard, utility workers, the DOT workers who are plowing the snow, the convenience store workers, and all the other essential workers…we care and we absolutely appreciate you. You’ve got people out there that are battling the elements, that are trying to get vaccines in people’s arms.”
Justice provided an update regarding the state’s vaccine administration, noting that West Virginia’s rate of 47.01% is the highest of any state in the country.
Justice continued “You’ve got people that are sitting at home, and I wish so much that they could be with their families. There’s a lot of great friends and loved ones that all of us haven’t been able to be with today and we hate it like crazy. On the other hand, there’s a bunch of people out there that have really, truly lost loved ones that have been taken by this terrible killer.”
“All I can say is that, in every way, I appreciate so much all the great work that all the people are doing all around me in every capacity. Their courage is unmatched and, absolutely, their devotion to each and every one of us is unbelievable,” Justice concluded.
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