CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia exceeded 2,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 on Friday, as fatalities catch up to weeks of high coronavirus case numbers that are now declining.
There were 562 new confirmed cases reported Friday, down 67% from the beginning of the year. Hospitalizations also declined 36% to 519 patients.
But 23 new deaths put the state’s tally at 2,006.
The state also reported vaccinating 10.3% of its population with at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and 3.3% have received both shots.
Republican Gov. Jim Justice said Friday that all 214 long-term care centers have been offered their second doses. The state has not released data showing how many residents and staff declined shots. Justice said outbreaks at nursing homes declined 50% since the beginning of the year, down to 55 outbreaks.
Justice also said all school workers aged 50 and over who signed up for a first shot will have received their doses by the end of Friday. Officials also pledged that school workers aged 50 and above who did not receive a shot on the first go-around can still register online for priority access.
“If you passed and didn’t get the first shot … you are still considered essential. I would tell you, pre-register and go on right now,” Justice said at a news conference.
He urged teachers — and all other residents — to sign up for a shot on the state’s online portal. He said 133,000 residents have pre-registered since the website launched Monday.
Officials continue to use “additional doses in vials” that can be extracted with a sixth syringe, resulting in more full-strength doses than initially expected with the federal government’s shipment of vaccines.
So far, 46% of all first doses have gone to about 84,800 residents aged 65 and over, according to state data. Vaccines are currently available to that age group in the general population, health care workers and teachers over age 50.
Officials have asked the federal government for more doses. President Joe Biden pledged to increase shipments going out to states next week by 15%.
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