Gov. Jim Justice is concerned with the impact cold weather will have on the state’s COVID-19 numbers.
During a short press briefing Monday morning, Justice read out 12 additional COVID-19 deaths in the state, bringing the state’s total to 7,379.
At the end of the conference, Justice compared the COVID deaths to the 2006 Sago Mine Disaster that killed 12 miners.
“Sago Mine Disaster, 12 people. You know how much it was all over the TVs and everything else,” Justice said. “Twelve people right here, and we’ve just gotten to where we’re used to it.”
Justice urged West Virginians to get vaccinated against the virus before the onset of colder weather in the coming weeks and months.
“It’s gonna get colder, and we’re going to go indoors, and the more we’re indoors, we’re closer we are together,” he said. “And the likelihood of this spreading even faster, you know, is off the chart of where it is right now.”