Read on Twitter
Justice starts: "Today is going to be a terrible day from the standpoint of what I have to report to you. I have many, many deaths of great West Virginians to report to you today." https://twitter.com/WVMetroNews/status/1325820392041304067
17 #WV covid-related deaths since last briefing
But he says there were also 27 additional deaths that had been investigated over time and now are conclusive https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx
But he says there were also 27 additional deaths that had been investigated over time and now are conclusive https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx
Justice says the DHHR dashboard has had some technical issues and has not been updated yet today
At the moment, the DHHR dashboard says 502 #WV deaths from covid
Justice now going through the 27 more deaths that had been under further investigation and now confirmed or presumed covid. These are over the course of the pandemic
Justice seems to be shifting to a discussion of The Map and postseason high school athletics.
Stop me if you've heard this, but he's describing the time he as governor halted the girls basketball tournament even though he coaches Greenbrier East.
Stop me if you've heard this, but he's describing the time he as governor halted the girls basketball tournament even though he coaches Greenbrier East.
Justice: "I have told you, I know how important sports are."
"But we've lost 44 more people in West Virginia," Justice then says
Justice: "Sports are important, but they have to be laid to the sidelines just a little bit."
"Surely to goodness, if we don't go to school we don't need to be playing."
"Surely to goodness, if we don't go to school we don't need to be playing."
Justice expresses continued frustration about counties where there are testing opportunities but very little participation
Justice: "Please, we've got to go get tested."
Justice hails today's news that Pfizer says its vaccine may be 90 percent effective
"Let's just hope and pray this is the right news. This could be the biggest announcement we have had in our lifetimes to tell the truth." https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/09/health/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-effective/index.html
"Let's just hope and pray this is the right news. This could be the biggest announcement we have had in our lifetimes to tell the truth." https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/09/health/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-effective/index.html
Justice: "President Trump and his team deserve a lot of credit."
Pfizer wasn't working with 'Operation Warp Speed" for development though https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/09/no-pfizers-apparent-vaccine-success-is-not-function-trumps-operation-warp-speed/
Pfizer wasn't working with 'Operation Warp Speed" for development though https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/09/no-pfizers-apparent-vaccine-success-is-not-function-trumps-operation-warp-speed/
Justice: "If they check it out, I would gladly be the first one to take it."
"If these experts say it's ready to go then I'm ready to go."
"If these experts say it's ready to go then I'm ready to go."
Until then, Justice says, "We've got to get tested. In addition to getting tested we absolutely have to continue wearing masks and stay away and all the things we're doing."
Justice describes outbreaks in various locations around the state.
"The churches are almost a breeding ground," he says, offering caution and suggesting vulnerable people skip a few services.
"The churches are almost a breeding ground," he says, offering caution and suggesting vulnerable people skip a few services.
Justice: "I've told you over and over to get your flu shot. We surely need to do that right now."
Justice takes a moment to honor former state Supreme Court Justice Richard Neely, whose death was announced this morning
"We acknowledge the great service and all the incredible wisdom he gave the state of West Virginia."
Justice now diverts for a minute to #Hyperloop, which put actual passengers in its high-speed pods for the first time
"We should be very, very happy for them. They're going to come to West Virginia."
"Great stuff happening at Hyperloop." https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/tech/virgin-hyperloop-passengers/index.html
"We should be very, very happy for them. They're going to come to West Virginia."
"Great stuff happening at Hyperloop." https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/tech/virgin-hyperloop-passengers/index.html
I'm back to being confused about whether these briefings are just covid or nah
State Health Officer Ayne Amjad acknowledges the DHHR dashboard is currently wonky
Amjad says the earlier mentioned, additional deaths were flagged by DHHR over the weekend. Sounds like they weren't passed along efficiently from the local level
Coronavirus Response Coordinator Clay Marsh: "There has been a lot of consternation about The Map and the color-coding and the way we are doing things the way we're doing."
He says "it's not a school map or a sports map, but a public health map."
Fair enough, but what it affects is schools and sports, right?
Fair enough, but what it affects is schools and sports, right?
Marsh is now going back over why there was a change from just focusing on daily positives to more recently focusing on the percent positive
Marsh says the early Pfizer news is "incredibly promising."
He describes a call with the CDC "so as soon as a lead vaccine really does meet all of its Phase 3 metrics, we will start that distribution cycle."
He describes a call with the CDC "so as soon as a lead vaccine really does meet all of its Phase 3 metrics, we will start that distribution cycle."
Marsh: "Things are looking up. We have to maintain our commitment to wear masks and get tested."
Q from @stevenadamswv "Isn't part of the problem that we technically have two separate maps?" Adams asks if the repeated explanation "isn't kind of a sign that it's failing?"
Justice: "Steven, I think the world of you and you know that. I think it's really getting out there to think this map is failing."
I rate this response a Half-Kabler
I rate this response a Half-Kabler
Justice defends The Map, saying you wouldn't want to have no map at all
Justice: "We could say let's just all go to school and all play ball and we could become Pennsylvania.
"Or we could say let's close down all schools."
He says the second would lead to societal and economic meltdown
"Or we could say let's close down all schools."
He says the second would lead to societal and economic meltdown
Justice: "Sure, it's confusing and sure it's disappointing from time to time. But the alternative, please, please to God above, give me an alternative that isn't going to involve half the state being shut down or the whole state shut down or maybe worse."
Marsh now fields the question and says:
1. Top goal is to save lives
2. We want to keep our state together. A divided house cannot stand
3. There's two sides to closing things (upside and downside)
1. Top goal is to save lives
2. We want to keep our state together. A divided house cannot stand
3. There's two sides to closing things (upside and downside)
Amjad says The Map has helped increase communication across the state.
Describing local officials: "When they see these map colors, they get to the table faster to figure out what they need to do."
Describing local officials: "When they see these map colors, they get to the table faster to figure out what they need to do."
I believe this is the 148th briefing
just, you know, a thought that popped into my head
just, you know, a thought that popped into my head
Justice: "This isn't perfect. I get that. There isn't any playbook. I get that."
He says Our Great Experts are doing a great job
He says Our Great Experts are doing a great job
Q from @KennieBassWCHS about whether the governor was involved with CAMC decision to provide bonuses to front-line workers
Justice says he was not directly involved, but "I think it's great."
Justice says he was not directly involved, but "I think it's great."
Q from @cyoungIII: "Do we anticipate finding more of these probable and confirmed cases going forward?"
Amjad: "I hope not." She says there are some backup systems, along with plans to double-check
Amjad: "I hope not." She says there are some backup systems, along with plans to double-check
Justice chimes in to ask her to elaborate on why this reporting was off
Amjad describes "death reports," which go to local health departments. Local health departments then send back to DHHR, which forms the statistics on the dashboard
Amjad describes "death reports," which go to local health departments. Local health departments then send back to DHHR, which forms the statistics on the dashboard
This is different from a death certificate.
"Most of these passed away at the hospital level or the nursing home level." Sounds like they then weren't passed on to health department and then to the state
"I can only imagine that's due to lack of staff or other issues."
"Most of these passed away at the hospital level or the nursing home level." Sounds like they then weren't passed on to health department and then to the state
"I can only imagine that's due to lack of staff or other issues."
Amjad: "It was a shock to us as well that those were not in our system."
Q from @MarkCurtisWOWK about counties flooding testing sites -- to try to drive down numbers during football playoff season. "The motivation seems not the same as yours."
Justice: "The thing that is good about it is if we're circulating on social media to go get tested -- and maybe they're trying to get tested to play sports -- I don't care. I love it that people are going to get tested."
Justice: "Let's just say we find 10 asymptomatic people who are spreading this -- what are the chances of those spreading it to someone who dies?"
He says those people can be urged to isolate if they get tested, no matter the testing motivation
He says those people can be urged to isolate if they get tested, no matter the testing motivation
Marsh clarifies that it's not good to have repeat, short-term testing by the same people over and over and over
But he agrees that testing is good no matter the motivation.
But he agrees that testing is good no matter the motivation.
Q from #PaulMullan: "Is there any prohibition or medical barrier to teams saying "Hey guys we need to get our people out there and test or else we're not going to be able to play this weekend?'"
Justice: "If the teams can encourage people to get out there and test, that's exactly what we should be doing."
Justice describes not wanting to embarrass people who test positive: "If you want to be called Bo Peep or something like that, we'll call you that instead of Spreader."
Q from @caitycoyne about testing -- whether local officials really get enough notice from #WVgov when a local testing drive is announced, and also whether individuals know enough in advance.
Justice says he had a bit of a hard time hearing the Q
Justice says he had a bit of a hard time hearing the Q
Justice: "If you're watching the daily stuff coming out you've got to pretty well know that you're in the red or the orange or the gold."
Justice: "If we give you 12 hours notice that you're going to be at whatever site it may be and it's relatively close to you -- if you've got that much notice and you've known for days it looks like you're in the orange, I don't know how we can make it any more easy for people"
Justice: "Watch what's going on in your county all week long."
Justice: "How much would I give to not be sitting here reading these names to you?"
Justice starts to wrap up: "I've been through all the testing until I can't hardly talk."
He cites a press release from Pfizer: "Hopefully now we can move on and get this vaccine out there and make sure it is doing what it is supposed to do and stop the virus."
