COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice schedules reopenings for gyms, other recreational activities; announces plan to test vulnerable and minority populations

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• Whitewater rafting
• Ziplining

“We have consulted with these companies and they have given us a tremendous amount of guidelines,” Gov. Justice said. “I’m happy to say that we’re going to reopen and we’re hopeful to have a great rafting season and ziplining as well. But we ask, please, that you use good common sense and help us help keep you safe.”

“We just encourage you, again, to follow these guidelines as strictly as possible to try to keep everyone safe,” Gov. Justice said.

It targets residents who have struggled to be seen by a physician or do not have insurance to pay for testing. However, other residents, including those who are asymptomatic are welcome to be tested.

The following counties have been identified for testing: Berkeley, Cabell, Fayette, Jefferson, Kanawha, Marion, Mercer, Mineral, Monongalia, and Raleigh.

“We are targeting these counties for a significant amount of testing in order to be able to make us one step better,” Gov. Justice said. “If you have any anxiety, or whatever it may be, and you think you ought to be tested, please come in and do so.”

DHHR and local jurisdictions, with support from the WVNG, will be conducting the first of these testing efforts on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at each of the following locations:

• Berkeley County
  • Martinsburg High School (701 S Queen St., Martinsburg, WV)
• Jefferson County
  • Asbury United Methodist Church (110 W North St., Charles Town, WV)
• Mercer County
  • Bluefield State College: Harris-Jefferson Student Center Lower Parking Lot (219 Rock St., Bluefield, WV)
• Raleigh County
  • Commission on Aging (1614 S Kanawha St., Beckley, WV)

Additional testing for the remaining counties will be announced at a later date.

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Any potential future rise in cases will trigger rapid assessment and guide action based on a seven-day rolling sum of new, non-outbreak associated cases based on population size. DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health will examine additional data and undertake a rapid joint assessment with the county.

Following the rapid assessment and examination of data that suggest an increase in community transmission, the county may be designated by Gov. Justice with the status of “High Alert.” Depending on the individual county circumstances, action plans will include providing or assigning needed resource supports and/or strongly reinforcing or potentially increasing community mitigation measures.

Once on the heightened alert list, a county will stay on it for a minimum of 14 days and until a consistent decrease in community spread of COVID-19 is seen. Removal from the alert list will be based on data and in collaboration with the local health department.

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“Please, in remembrance of those that we’ve lost and in respect of all of those who are giving us so much all the time, please remember to be thankful.”

The donated hand sanitizer will be used by various emergency personnel in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I just think that anybody stepping up to do this kind of work should be recognized,” Gov. Justice said. “So we thank Exxon in every way.”

“I tell all of you that West Virginia is now testing at a level of 3.86 percent. The national level is 3.01 percent and all of our surrounding states are testing significantly less than us,” Gov. Justice said. “And so this is just going to make us better and better.”

The Governor also went on to report that West Virginia’s cumulative rate of positive test results has dropped yet again over the past 24 hours to 2.08 percent.

View the latest COVID-19 data at Coronavirus.wv.gov

Be counted in minutes: 2020census.gov.