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Coronavirus

Court battle over masking continues

CHARLESTON — The owners of a restaurant in Putnam County filed a response Monday to a motion to dismiss by attorneys for Gov. Jim Justice in a case seeking to overturn his indoor mask order, his earlier stay-at-home order, and the COVID-19 guidelines for businesses. A court filing Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia by attorneys for Andrew and Ashley Stewart, owners of Bridge Cafe and Bistro in Putnam County, responded to a motion to dismiss filed Dec. 7 by Justice. The Stewarts filed a complaint against the state, the Putnam County ...

C.A.R.E.S. deadline extended

CHARLESTON — A federal deadline to spend what remains of the $1.25 billion in coronavirus aid to state and local governments by the end of the year was extended in the latest federal COVID-19 package being considered by Congress this week. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., held a call with press Monday afternoon in anticipation of the U.S. Senate passing a $2.4 trillion omnibus bill to keep the government funded through the fiscal year, with a $900 billion new coronavirus relief package. One of the key provisions of that new coronavirus relief package is a provision allowing ...

ELKINS — Local health officials have confirmed that a Randolph County resident suffered a coronavirus-related death over the weekend, the county’s fourth to date. Bonnie Woodrum, the Randolph Elkins Health Department’s infectious disease specialist, said a 57-year-old male was the fourth COVID-related casualty in Randolph County. As of Monday, West Virginia has seen 1,129 COVID-related deaths during the pandemic. Officials are warning residents to avoid traveling this holiday weekend and to try and stay within the group of people you’re around on a daily basis. “We had a ...

State leads nation in vaccine distribution

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice said Monday that West Virginia is leading the way with the number of distributed COVID-19 vaccines and is ahead of schedule in vaccinating residents and staff of long-term care facilities. “We want to continue to pump this stuff out as quick as we can and lead the nation in every way,” Justice said Monday during his coronavirus briefing. According to the Department of Health and Human Resources, of the 16,575 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine received by the state last week, 15,135 doses - 91.3 percent - have been administered. Nationally, ...

W.Va. to receive reduced number of vaccines

CHARLESTON — State officials in charge of COVID-19 vaccine distribution were told Thursday night that West Virginia’s allotment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could be reduced by as much as 45 percent less than originally promised. “Hiccups are not really permissible when people are dying in my world,” said Gov. Jim Justice during his Friday coronavirus briefing with media. “I haven’t been very happy about this.” Justice said state health officials were notified by federal officials that the original allotment of Pfizer vaccine for next week would be reduced. West ...