COVID Vaccine
Pocahontas County residents, age 70 and older, who are interested in receiving the COVID vaccine should call the Pocahontas County Health Department, 304-799-4154, to be included in the schedule for the next vaccine clinic.
Free COVID Testing
Free COVID-19 testing Friday, January 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Family Resource Network building, 503 Third Avenue, Marlinton.
Held in conjunction with NIH RADX project, WVU, Pocahontas County Health Department and Pocahontas County 911 and Emergency Management.
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During Monday’s press briefing, Gov. Jim Justice again provided an update on the state’s progress in distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines.
Last week, Justice announced that COVID-19 vaccines would start being distributed to individuals in the general population age 80 and older. In the time since, more than 8,300 West Virginians, age 80 and older in the general population, have been vaccinated.
“We all know that every hour that goes by that somebody who’s 80 years old isn’t getting the vaccine, people are going to die, and those people were being told, over and over, they would not be getting the vaccine until, probably, April, and they were scared,” Justice said. “I said we had to move right away to get these vaccines in the arms of our people.”
This is in addition to nursing home and assisted living facility residents in this age range who have already been vaccinated. As of last week, residents of all ages in each of the state’s 214 long-term care facilities have been offered the vaccine.
“I’ll flat guarantee you, we’ve saved lives,” Justice said. “Now the thing we’ve got to do – the doses that are sitting in storage – we’ve got to get them in arms now.”
There is a limited supply of vaccine doses at this time, based on what is received weekly from the federal government. Patience is urged while the West Virginia National Guard’s Joint Interagency Task Force finalizes plans for the widespread distribution of vaccines for West Virginians in this age category.
There will be ongoing supply of vaccines available through local health departments for West Virginians in the general population age 80 and older. Health departments will individually announce availability and locations for vaccinations. If individuals in this age category are patients at a Federally Qualified Health Center, they will be contacted by that center regarding access to a COVID-19 vaccine.
As vaccine supply increases, there will be more vaccines available to the general population based on age. Once vaccines are available at locations throughout West Virginia, they will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
Justice has directed the West Virginia National Guard to plan vaccination clinics at locations throughout the state, including at National Guard Armories. These clinics have not yet been scheduled. When they are scheduled, they will be announced accordingly.
West Virginians are urged not to show up at local health departments or National Guard armories for vaccination unless a vaccination clinic for those age 80 and older is scheduled. West Virginians are also urged against overwhelming pharmacies, clinics, hospitals or the COVID-19 hotline by calling repeatedly.
Last week, Justice announced that the COVID-19 vaccine would soon be offered to all teachers, service personnel and other school employees age 50 and older. On Monday, Justice noted that vaccinations for teachers and staff will begin Thursday, January 7, 2021. Information on where and when each school employee will be able to receive the vaccine will be distributed through the West Virginia Department of Education, directly to the superintendents of each county.
