West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice warned West Virginia to be prepared for more COVID-related death if the number of vaccines increases.
Since July, the state has experienced a rise in COVID-19-related cases and a decrease in vaccination rates.
The governor stated that he does not want to make vaccines mandatory for employees and said that it should be an option.
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Jim Justice, West Virginia Governor, warned that more people could die from COVID-19 in West Virginia if the state's vaccination rates don't rise.
"Seventy-four people have also died since Wednesday," Gov. Justice spoke out, giving updates on the state's ongoing fight against coronavirus during a Friday news briefing. "And they'll continue dying. That's all there really is to it.
He continued, "We are just going to keep lining up the body bags, and we're gonna line them up and line them up."
As new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in West Virginia, this is a good sign. Based on data from West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, West Virginia reported 2,070 confirmed and probable cases Friday.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the state was a leader in vaccine rollouts and reported a higher rate of vaccinations than any other state in February. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 46% of the state’s vaccine-eligible residents are now fully vaccinated against this virus. This is the lowest level of vaccination among any state.
West Virginia officials are pointing out that vaccine hesitancy is a major reason for the vaccine slowdown. In the last nine months, the government offered several vaccine incentives, including a $100 savings bond for people aged 16 to 35 who have been vaccinated, and a raffle giveaway of firearms in June. The vaccines have been repeatedly proven safe and effective by health experts and data.
Justice had previously voiced concern over the July rise in Delta variants and the state's inability to respond effectively to it. He said it made him want "to pee and throw up."
In the Friday briefing, the governor stated that he does not believe in mandating COVID vaccinations for employees. President Biden earlier this month announced policies requiring vaccinations for all government employees as well as employees of large companies employing more than 100 employees.
He said, "At the conclusion of the day we're likely to do one thing: Either we're gonna run to the fire right now and get vaccinated, or we're gonna pile the body bags until we reach a time when we have enough people who have natural immunities to be vaccinated." "That's it. I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated.
