West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and his health team once again reiterated the importance of vaccines and boosters in the on-going fight against COVID-19 during Friday's press conference.

 

Justice began the briefing by offerning his condolences to the families of the most recent COVID-related deaths. There have been 11 since his last press conference bringing the state's total to 6,893.

 

"I ask for your prayers for these great people we have lost," Justice said.

 

In other updated stats provided by the Department of Health and Human Resources, there have been 491 new cases reported during the previous 24 hours.

 

The state's number of active cases is at 1,658. 

 

"The active cases continue to go up," Justice said. "This is a bump."

 

Total recoveries are at 496, 977. West Virginia's cumulative percent postive rate is at 8.10 and the daily percent positive rate is at 7.94.

 

Hospitalizations are 119 with 25 patients in ICUs and 11 on ventilators.

 

On the daily alert system map, 35 counties remain green, but there are now 20 yellow counties, including Harrison.

 

"This thing is not gone," Justice said. "That's all there is to it. People who think that it is are just not thinking right. We've got to find a way to live with this and we have the way with the vaccinations and the booster shots. You've got to get your boosters, you've got to get your vaccinations and go live your life."

 

There are currently 38 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, 0 in churches and there are 15 cases among inmates statewide in correctional facilities as well as 20 cases among staff.

 

The governor also issued a proclamation during Friday's briefing, declaring today Children of Fallen Patriots Day.

 

Justice also touched on the national and state proclamation that came on Thursday ordering U.S. flags and state flags to be flown at halfstaff in remembrance of the one million U.S. lives lost to COVID. The proclamation is in place through sunset on Monday, May 16.

 

Retired Major General Jim Hoyer provided some additional information in regard to that number.

 

"If you take the 10 combat situations in the history of the United States with the highest causality totals and add them all up it comes to 659,287," Hoyer said. "You would still need to add 340,713 to get to the total of the people we have lost to COVID and 95 percent of (the one million) were over the age of 50."

 

Video of Friday's press conference can be viewed below.