Thread by @BradMcElhinny

Justice begins by acknowledging Pearl Harbor Day. "It's a day that will live with us forever and ever and ever."

https://twitter.com/WVMetroNews/status/1335969659577905157

The governor now describes being met on his way in by high school cheerleaders and their supporters who are upset by postponement of state cheerleading championship this coming weekend

Justice praises the cheerleaders for wearing their masks and being mannerly and caring in their interactions with him. "They know we've got a catastrophe on our hands all across the land."

He describes a range of student athletes who have had to make sacrifices. "I feel their pain, and I hate it like crazy."

There is a recitation of how, as governor, he had to cancel the state basketball tournament, even though he coached a team that had a great chance of winning

"and we pulled the plug on everything."

"We cannot all come together right now," Justice says of group gatherings

Justice describes 42 #WV covid-related deaths since last briefing on Friday

Now at 842 deaths

dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/Pages…

Justice compares #WV numbers favorably to (more populated) surrounding states

"The number of deaths is escalating in our state now by leaps and bounds."

Justice describes South Dakota with 1,064 deaths with half of West Virginia's population.

"I don't want any part of being South Dakota."

Justice, reading the deaths one by one, halts at a 36-year-old

"Good gracious."

Justice on the deaths: "They're great West Virginians. We've lost 841 of them now."

Justice: "The testing is really, really helping us, but it's not enough."

Justice says Rt rate of 1.04 is the 15th best in the country, although on the wrong side of 1

Justice notes that The Map has 60 percent of counties on red or orange, indicating heightened community spread of the virus

Justice says state epidemiologists haven't been able to point to one origin of all the spread, so he casts doubt on shutting down particular kinds of businesses.

He says the only options really are a broad shutdown or again imploring people to wear their masks

Justice says some legislators will push back on masks. He alludes to legislators being back in town in a little over a month.

I'm not sure how this will go over with 134 people

Justice: "I've said enough about face coverings. I've said it until I'm blue-green."

Justice describes more than 16,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine coming to #WV, probably next week

There's a discussion of how if you get the first shot, then you'd follow up with a second shot

Justice: "I am very, very hopeful in the state of West Virginia that this is not going to drag out until the middle of summer."

He hopes by mid-March, #WV will be "almost or there at being able to vaccinate anyone who wants to get the vaccine."

Justice: "If you don't try or believe it in your heart, it'll never happen."

Justice: "Every indicator about this is take the vaccine. Take the vaccine. It breaks the chain."

Justice alludes to tomorrow's funeral of Charleston Police Officer Cassie Johnson, 28, who was shot and killed last week

"Our flags will be lowered tomorrow in her honor."

Of her death, the governor says, "so incredibly unnecessary."

Discussion returns to the attack on Pearl Harbor

"War can be some tough stuff. Really tough stuff."

Oooh, we've moved to Defund the Police

Now moving to Joyful Night, the annual Christmas tree lighting and celebration, which will be virtual this year.

Discussion now moves to hunting and fishing promo, which he has talked about a few times in recent briefings

Justice closes his opening remarks: "Keep your prayers going like crazy, and stay the course. We're really, really close to this vaccine."

Coronavirus response coordinator Clay Marsh discusses vaccine rollout, saying highest risk categories will go first.

Marsh gives a vote of confidence: "These are really game-changing vaccines."

m-R-N-A

Marsh describes a Pfizer supply chain issue that has arisen. But he describes an enormous number of vaccines expected in 2021

wsj.com/articles/pfize…

Adjutant General Hoyer also expresses sorrow over the loss of Charleston Officer Johnson, whose funeral is Tuesday

DHHR Secretary Crouch says it is very important that the public understand both of the metrics that form The Map. Two metrics are on the dashboard, and people can see the trends in their counties

dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/Pages…

As more red appears on The Map, Crouch says, it's an indication people should be even more diligent

He acknowledges that one metric can be orange or red while another is yellow or green -- so just glancing at The Map probably doesn't show the full picture in your county

State Health Officer Ayne Amjad urges people to also get their flu vaccine

Q from @stevenadamswv about #WVgov draft plan on vaccinations. How far up the list are inmates? (With the underlying assumption that corrections facilities can be subject to community spread)

Hoyer says the state's process continues to be refined.

He says bulk of infections in prisons are from correctional officers coming into facilities. Correctional officers are part of initial group with police officers

Q from @KennieBassWCHS about potentially targeting groups like retail workers and teachers with vaccines because they have such public duties

Bass also asks, generally, about aborted fetal tissues in vaccines, which work with RNA

Hoyer acknowledges there's a look at comorbidity issues in various groups

On the fetal tissue question, Marsh is addressing that but it's hard to replicate what he's saying so I offer this:

health.nd.gov/sites/www/file…

Basically, the lines go way back to the 60s and 70s and the original samples could include fetal tissue. They're historic cell lines that would not include any "new" fetal tissue material

Q from @MarkCurtisWOWK about vaccination priorities. How do we decide specifically who gets the first round?

Justice says first Pfizer and then Moderna coming along quickly, so that will help.

Then Justice says increased amounts are expected week over week

Justice riffs on how he's not wild about politics.

He says his decisions on vaccine distribution, CARES money distribution, etc. will not be guided by politics.

Q from #PaulMullan about nursing home staffing. How's it holding up?

Dr. Amjad: "They are working very hard, and they are pulling double duties."

Q from @davemistich about Dr. Birx wanting people to steer clear of indoor gatherings around the holidays, calling on local officials to implement more restrictive measures.

cnbc.com/2020/12/06/bir…

Do you remain in contact with top officials, are you in contact with incoming Biden administration?

Justice says he's in contact with all the top-level officials. He says some of the recent advice was aimed at states with even worse problems.

Justice: "I am sure our people will remain in discussion and we will welcome the discussion with all the Biden people as well."

Justice again says there is no identification of any one area of society where covid is spreading in #WV

It's everywhere

"It is coming from all kinds of different areas."

Justice: "If you can't identify something that's going to really make a difference -- and you shut down all indoor dining in 10 counties -- what's going to be the impact of that?"

He talks about employees, suppliers, etc, of restaurants

"They've got to pay their power bill, they've got to buy food, they've got to buy presents for their kids."

Justice: "It is really, really tough stuff."

"If people can bring me something that says 'This is a real problem, governor,' I'd act right now."

How can people convey this information?

Kelsey Soto of WSAZ asks about 27 counties having virtual education -- "so why are schools the one area where we're seeing more closures?"

Justice: "That question is more tailored for the Department of Ed."

Justice says remote learning "is working very much less than what we had hoped."

"If these kids aren't in school then they're going to really suffer."

Department of Education has made it clear that it did not make The Map

Q from @PhilKabler about 54 of 55 counties being red as assessed by infection rate. "Are we creating a false sense of security" with The Map that uses either/or on the metric?

Justice: "You're exactly right"

You're exactly right that today if we just took purely the infection rate we'd have 54 of 55 counties on red."

But he then asks if someone in charge would shut everything down because of it. "Would you be willing to be able to handle all the ramifications?"

Justice says he would love to see the headline 'Kabler supports closing the entire state of West Virginia down."

Justice: "We're here every day. People see people dying all over the place. And for the most part, West Virginians are doing a heck of a good job."

Justice: "But go look in any store and you're doing to see for the most part, West Virginians are doing a good job."

Justice: "KABLER SAYS SHUT ENTIRE STATE DOWN."

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?"

"Well, right under it you ought to put 'Justice says no.'"

Justice starts to wrap up: "A lot of good questions and I appreciate that."

About to hit the two-hour mark from the announced start time. To summarize:

-- current numbers are bad; people are dying
-- no proof government action will help
-- West Virginians are doing good; keep it up

Justice: "I read 42 names today. Remember 'em all.

"God bless you. Thank you so much."