Justice Urges State to Remain Cautious and Pray for Family of Second COVID-19 Confirmed Death
By Chris Johnson on April 02, 2020 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice's urged everybody to stay on course and show remorse for the second COVID-19 death in the state during his Thursday press conference to provide updates to the ongoing battle against the pandemic.
"We've had our second death in West Virginia and I would like to solicit all your thoughts and prayers for the family," Justice said in regards to the Jackson County resident, whose COVID-19 related death was confirmed on Wednesday.
"I would like to say if you will watch what is going on in our country, we are losing an equivalent of what we would lose if a commercial airliner crash every two or three hours. Don't stop thinking the magnitude of the situation."
The Governor added that the state is still trending around 4 percent in regard to positive cases vs. tests taken even with Wednesday's spike up to 6 or 7 percent. He also said he hadn't seen any numbers for today as of the time of the press briefing.
"I caution everyone to stay the course," Justice said.
The Governor also provided a message courtesy of the WV Rural Water Association to not flush disinfectant wipes down the toilet and mentioned a Greenbrier County business, Countrymen Communications is active in helping set up wi-fi hot spots.
WV Superintendant of Education Clayton Burch commented on the Governor's order on Wednesday to extend the statewide school closure to April 30, saying it is important that a unified message is out there to the public.
"We don't take that lightly," Burch said. "It's important to our young kids there is an end to this. We would like to bring some closure to the school year. Forty-two states have not thrown in the towel yet. They are being optimistice like our Governor is."
WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey issued a statement praising state workers such as the truck drivers helping to keep essential stores stocked and also said they have been 300 price gauging complaints come into his office and each one of them will be investigated.
Full video of today's press conference can be viewed below
To read the press release from today's briefing, click HERE
