Gov. Jim Justice suggests that covid-19 cases in West Virginia have plateaued, and he hopes West Virginia’s numbers start to improve.
“It looks like we’re starting to turn down, and that’s great news,” Justice said today during a briefing about the state’s pandemic response.
“We’re in a hold pattern right at the peak, but it looks like that hold pattern could just start flowing our way.”
West Virginia reported 14,534 active cases of covid-19 today.
That is down somewhat from 15,413 reported Saturday and 16,015 on Friday.
Those numbers have plummeted from the 29,744 reported on Sept. 16.
West Virginia’s hospitalization numbers are also holding steady, although they are higher than state health officials would like to see.
Total hospitalizations today were 978. That is down from the high number of 1,012 on Sept. 24.
Of the total hospitalizations, 81.5 percent are unvaccinated.
Covid patients requiring the intensive care unit are now at 287. Of those, 87 percent were unvaccinated.
And 187 covid patients need ventilators to aid with breathing. Of those, 88.8 percent are unvaccinated.
Justice urged residents to get vaccination — or to seek out a booster shot if they’ve already gotten their first vaccinations.
“We’ve had a positive weekend of booster doses going in arms,” said Jim Hoyer, leader of the state’s interagency task force, on MetroNews’ “Talkline” today. He described 12,000 booster doses being administered over the past several days. “And that number is growing daily.”
Booster shots are now available for individuals who received the Pfizer vaccine. Jim Hoyer, Head of the COVID-19 Interagency Task Force, explains this step forward to @DaveWilsonMN. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nm85Y pic.twitter.com/zm75UI16lq
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) September 27, 2021
Only 56.4 percent of West Virginia’s vaccine-eligible population is considered fully-vaccinated, according to the most recent state figures.
Although many of the state’s numbers are stabilizing, Justice warned that another turn for the worse could occur.
“When we get colder weather, we’re going to be inside more,” he said. “And when we’re inside more it’s going to spread even faster.”