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Coronavirus

Officials give vaccine distribution update

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice said distribution of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine around the state to hospitals, healthcare workers, and long-term living facilities is going smoothly. Justice gave an update Wednesday during his mid-week coronavirus briefing from the State Capitol Building. Justice thanked the West Virginia National Guard and local and state health officials for helping get the vaccines out. “We’re pushing the vaccines out the door as fast as we possibly can,” Justice said. “We’re distributing them all across our state. Our Guard and our health people are ...

4 firefighters exposed to COVID-19

DAILEY — Four front-line workers — and possibly two good samaritans — were exposed to COVID-19 after an automobile accident in Randolph County this week, officials said. Firefighters from the Tygarts Valley Fire Company responded to a single-vehicle accident call Tuesday evening just north of Mountain View Equipment on Route 219 in Valley Bend. Once the crew arrived, they found a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude on its top with a female driver inside, officials said. Four Tygarts Valley Fire Company members worked to remove the unidentified driver from the vehicle and, after ...

State gets first batch of COVID-19 vaccines

CHARLESTON — The first batches of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were delivered to hubs in Kanawha and Monongalia counties Monday, with deliveries to additional hubs scheduled today. Gov. Jim Justice received the vaccine Monday evening over video livestream on YouTube to demonstrate his confidence in the vaccine and to encourage all West Virginians to take the vaccine once it is available for the general public. “Today is a historic day today in our country and an accomplishment unbelievable to be able to get out a vaccine and get out this quickly and get it out through the FDA and ...

State sees slight decrease in testing

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice on Monday encouraged people over 65 to get tested for COVID-19 to more quickly treat them as testing overall has seen a slight decrease. According to data from the Department of Health and Human Resources, the total number of test results over a 14-day period between Nov. 30 and Sunday was 190,569, a 3 percent decrease in testing compared to 196,064 tests results between Nov. 16. through Nov. 29. Over the last seven days, the state conducted an average of 13,612 tests per day. State officials, speaking during Monday’s COVID-19 briefing at the ...

Inoculations set to begin in Randolph today

ELKINS — The first batch of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in the area today, with the first inoculations to be administered to high-risk health care workers and those in nursing homes. Randolph County will be a day behind administering the drug as other areas of the United States made their first injections of the vaccine Monday morning as the fight against the coronavirus pandemic entered a new chapter for Americans. “We are supposed to get the vaccine on (today) for the first minimal doses,” Bonnie Woodrum, the Randolph Elkins Health Department’s ...

Justice talks vaccine priorities

CHARLESTON — Vaccine distribution in West Virginia will immediately begin upon arrival, according to the governor. The shipments to states of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under review by the Food and Drug Administration will begin 24 hours after approval by the federal agency while distribution to disbursement centers in West Virginia will begin 24 hours after receiving them, Gov. Jim Justice said during a COVID-19 briefing Friday. “We will be ready to get them to West Virginians,” Justice said. An FDA advisory panel Thursday recommended the emergency use approval by the ...