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- West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has warned the state to prepare for more COVID-related deaths if the number of vaccinations does not improve.
- The state has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases and a deceleration in vaccination rates since July.
- The governor said he did not want to force vaccines on employees, saying getting vaccinated should be a choice.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has warned that the public can expect more people to die from COVID-19 if vaccination rates in the state do not improve significantly.
“Seventy-four other people have died since Wednesday,” said the governor of justice, providing an update on the state’s ongoing battle against the coronavirus during a press briefing on Friday. “And they will continue to die. That’s all there is to it.”
“We’re just going to keep lining up the body bags, and we’re going to line them up and line them up,” he continued.
It comes as new cases of COVID-19 in the state continue to skyrocket. West Virginia reported 2,070 new probable and confirmed cases on Friday, based on data from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The state has excelled in vaccine deployment, reporting a higher percentage of vaccinations in its population than any other state in February, the Wall Street Journal reported. Now, only 46% of the state’s vaccine-eligible population is fully vaccinated against the virus, the lowest of any state according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials in West Virginia cite vaccine reluctance as a primary factor in this slowdown in vaccination. The government has offered several vaccine incentives over the past nine months, such as a $ 100 savings bond for those vaccinated between the ages of 16 and 35, and even a gun lottery giveaway in June. Health experts and data have repeatedly shown vaccines to be safe and effective against the virus.
Justice had previously expressed unease over the increase in the Delta variant in July and the state’s ability to respond effectively, saying it made him want to “pee and puke”.
The governor also said during Friday’s briefing that he did not believe in requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID. President Biden earlier this month announced policies requiring the vaccination of all government employees and employees of large companies with more than 100 people.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to do one of two things: we’re going to run to the fire and get the shot right away, or we’re going to stack the body bags until we hit a point in time to get it. that we have enough people with natural immunities and enough people vaccinated, ”he added.“ That’s all there is to it. I really strongly encourage you to get vaccinated. “
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