Justice says mask mandate can end on West Virginia Day By
Gov. Jim Justice leads a briefing about the state s covid-19 response.
Gov. Jim Justice announced the state’s mask mandate will end on West Virginia Day, which is June 20.
“We’ll have a big celebration,” he said. “Wear your mask just a little while longer.”
By then, Justice said, state health advisers project 65 percent of all West Virginians 12 years of age and older will have been vaccinated.
The governor said that date will be targeted no matter how close West Virginia may be to achieving that percentage.
“I think it’s set in stone. We’ll be close enough,” he said.
Amid Covid-19, though, politics became a central element of health experts’ job descriptions. In Washington, government researcher Anthony Fauci publicly feuded with former President Trump.
Susan Walsh-Pool/Getty Images
Most local health officials don’t accept their jobs expecting to be roped into political activism.
Amid Covid-19, though, politics became a central element of health experts’ job descriptions. In Washington, government researcher Anthony Fauci publicly feuded with former President Trump. In many cities and states, local health departments were forced to square off against governors who resisted coronavirus mitigation strategies like business closures or mask mandates.
The series of squabbles has raised the question of whether, to be effective, local health officials need to add politics to their list of day-to-day responsibilities. And while the fights have been most pronounced amid the pandemic, they’ve even cropped up in states otherwise
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Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..
Tonight
Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Updated: April 28, 2021 @ 9:56 pm
For The Inter-Mountain
CHARLESTON In order to help get over the wall of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and help incentivize eligible teenagers and young adults, Gov. Jim Justice announced Monday that the state could give out savings bonds in exchange for shots in arms.
During his Monday COVID-19 briefing at the State Capitol Building, Justice offered state residents between the ages of 16 and 35 a $100 U.S. Savings bond once they get vaccinated with ether the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, or the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that was previously paused.
“In trying to come up with a way that is truly going to motivate them and us get over the hump, we are announcing today … we’re going to give every single one of these people … a $100 savings bond.”