West Virginia Officials Monitor Hospital Capacity as COVID-19 Surge Worsens
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WHEELING -- West Virginia officials predict a future shortage in hospital beds and available health care in the state if COVID numbers continue to surge, and current trends aren't reversed.
Gov. Jim Justice and his COVID advisory team announced during a briefing Wednesday there are presently 521 patients hospitalized across the state due to COVID. At the COVID peak last January, West Virginia saw 849 hospitalized due to the virus.
James Hoyer, director of the state's joint interagency task force, said current trends show the state could pass or even double that number before the current surge peaks.
"We are currently at 64% of the peak we saw the last time," he said. "We are on a path -- and we could more than double that number. We know that the preponderance of people in the hospital right now is up to 521 and will go higher today. We are at 521 in 53 days.
"So the strategic message to all West Virginians is unvaccinated West Virginians are filling up our hospital capacity and taking away from West Virginians the ability to get hospital care down the road if we don't get more West Virginians vaccinated."
Hoyer said during the last COVID surge, usage of bed and equipment capacity in hospitals never went above 90% statewide.
He said he was unsure of the number at which the system will be overwhelmed because too many other moving factors are involved, not the least of which are staffing issues at hospitals.
"In the last surge we were more focused on bed capacity and equipment capacity," Hoyer said. "Now we're in a different situation where we have to look at staffing issues in the hospital everyday. Those staffing issues are changing, because quite frankly, the other states in really dire circumstances are poaching health care providers away from other states (and providing) much higher pay opportunities."
He said the state COVID team is examining each day the overall hospital capacity in the state.
"The trend line … is at a pace we can't sustain," he said.
During the briefing, Justice reiterated his hope to soon begin booster shot vaccinations in the state and criticized the Biden administration for not acting more quickly to give federal approval to states to start.
"We are sitting on pins and needles waiting for them to give us the go-ahead to give boosters to older people who need shots now," Justice said.
"I don't know what is going on with the Biden administration for not giving us the go-ahead to go forward. We've got to get the White House to move. This is the silliest thing in the world. More people will die."
Justice was also asked if he planned to issue any mandate requiring patrons at restaurants and retail establishments to show their vaccination card before entering.
"I have no thoughts on that right now, but I don't think you can take anything off the table," he said. "These are untested waters, and there is no playbook. But I will absolutely do what I have to do to protect people."
Justice also hinted a statewide mask mandate might be forthcoming.
"Right now I don't have the evidence that mask wearing will curtail us enough to put us back in a good situation," he said early in the briefing.
Later he termed a mask mandate "almost inevitable."
"We're on top of it," Justice said. " "We're watching every single movement. I am not here to please the Republicans ... the Democrats ... the Independents. I am going to do what is very best for all West Virginians.
"I have solid conservative feelings. My conservative values are first and foremost driving me to make the best decision for you about county-wide mask mandates. But we're getting closer and closer every day," he said.