Trending
CHARLESTON -- Gov. Jim Justice unveiled a number of announcements Monday during his daily coronavirus briefing, including the removal of counties from the hotspot list, the opportunity for local governments to apply for grant funding, and a list of additional businesses set to reopen over the next few weeks.
Justice announced that Monongalia, Marion, Harrison, Jefferson and Berkeley counties would be removed from the executive orders that tightened social distancing restrictions in the state's stay-at-home executive order. Twelve counties were under tighter lockdowns.
"We're going to continue to do more because we have to," Justice said. "We have got to open ourselves back up, and as we do that we're going to watch. Our medical team and experts are watching in every single way. Absolutely, if the numbers start to trend in a negative direction, then we pull back and we either stop or go back or we surely slow down. We are trying to thread the needle."
Those counties were required to limit groups to no more than five people and businesses and entities are required to have employees work from home as much as possible. Those counties will now be under the newer safer-at-home order, which allows for groups no larger than 25 and encourages people to remain home whenever possible and wear masks.
Those counties will continue to be monitored by state health officials using new criteria for designating certain counties as coronavirus hotspots. The new County Alert System will identify surges in COVID-19 transmission using a seven-day rolling average of non-facility-related coronavirus outbreaks in communities.
If positive tests reach an unidentified threshold, the Department of Health and Human Resource Bureau of Public Health would investigate and make a determination whether to put the county on high alert, resulting in additional resources and tighter restrictions on social distancing. The county would remain on high alert until a consistent decrease in community spread is seen.
"Under the new system, we no longer have counties on the hotspot alert," Justice said. "(State health officials) will be watching all of our 55 counties closely as we move forward with our new high alert status system."
Justice announced Monday that city and county governments can now apply to the state for grants to cover coronavirus-related expenses. The grant funding is coming from part of the $1.25 billion the state received from the C.A.R.E.S. Act. Cities and counties can apply for grant funding at grants.wv.gov or call 1-833-94-GRANTS.
"Now, that application is out there and I encourage all the cities and counties to apply," Justice said. "As we get applications, we can work our way through them, and we'll work our way very quickly. We can find things they absolutely qualify for and get those monies on their way to them immediately."
Also Monday, Justice announced additional re-openings for businesses in West Virginia over the next couple of weeks. State health officials continue to stress the need for all West Virginians to follow social distancing guidelines, washing hands, and wear cloth face masks in public in order to keep any spike in COVID-19 cases due to re-openings down to a minimum.
"As we come back together again and as we open our vital businesses...then this is the time we have the highest risk of starting a second wave of spread," said Dr. Clay Marsh, the state coronavirus czar. "Following the appropriate safety precautions that we have really highlighted before, including physically distancing...is really important."
Justice said that malls will be able to join other businesses re-opening on Thursday in week four of Justice's West Virginia Strong reopening plan. State health officials have worked with malls to develop guidelines for malls to reopen safely. Those guidelines can be found at governor.wv.gov.
Other businesses reopening Thursday include whitewater rafting and ziplining, indoor dining at 50-percent capacity, large specialty retailers, state park campgrounds for in-state residents only, outdoor recreational rentals, spectator-less outdoor motorsports, the Hatfield and McCoy trail system, and tanning businesses. Fitness centers, gyms, recreation centers, and sports training facilities could re-open as of Monday.
Starting May 26, cabins and lodges at state parks will reopen for in-state guests only. Other businesses reopening May 26 include indoor and outdoor bars at 50-percent capacity, museums, visitor centers, and zoos. Spas, massage businesses, and limited video lottery retailers can re-open May 30. Casinos can reopen June 5. Additional guidance will be available at governor.wv.gov.
"Starting on Tuesday gives us a little more time to prepare and to pause for Memorial Day in respect to those who we have lost," Justice said. "I want to make sure we take care of our people first and foremost and all of these things are subject to change and we all should know this is such a fluid situation. Our medical experts are going to be constantly monitoring."
Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.