CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – Today, upon the sudden onset of symptoms Gov. Jim Justice received a positive PCR test for COVID-19. Confirmatory testing was performed by the West Virginia State Lab with an additional positive result. An additional test is being administered tonight to confirm the initial PCR results.

The Governor, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, is experiencing moderate symptoms and is isolating at home.

Upon recommendation from his physicians, the Governor will be receiving a course of monoclonal antibody treatment tonight. He is being treated by several physicians, including Dr. Clay Marsh, MD, the State COVID-19 Czar.

Everyone that the Governor has been in close contact with over the past few days is being notified. West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice tested negative this evening.

Gov. Justice is in communication with his Chief of Staff and office staff to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly.

The Governor’s State of the State address, scheduled for Wednesday, January 12, 2022, will be delivered by written message to the West Virginia Legislature to satisfy constitutional requirements.

The Governor will deliver an address to the West Virginia Legislature at a later date.

“While I was surprised that my test results came back positive, I’m thankful to the Lord above that I’ve been vaccinated, I’ve been boosted, and that I have an incredible support system, especially my loving family,” Gov. Justice said.

“That being said, I feel extremely unwell at this point, and I have no choice but to postpone my State of the State address to the Legislature. I woke up this morning with congestion and a cough. A little while later, I developed a headache and fever, so I decided to get tested right away. The rapid test that I took came back negative, but by the late afternoon, my symptoms were still getting much worse. My blood pressure and heart rate were extremely elevated, and I had a high fever. Finally, my PCR test results this evening confirmed I was positive. Because of all this, I began receiving my antibody treatment and I hope this will lessen these symptoms.

“For this to happen just one night before the State of the State – knowing I won’t be able to be there – saddens me. There are so many great things happening in West Virginia right now. Tomorrow, even though I won’t be there, we are going to showcase what we’ve accomplished with economic development in West Virginia. We are on a rocket ship ride and the world is finally waking up to it. But, because of this pandemic, we all must adjust and realize that our lives aren’t the same as they were a few short years ago.

“I ask everyone to continue praying for the 5,452 great West Virginians that we’ve lost. We need to keep pulling the rope together. We’re going to get through this and put an end to this terrible pandemic once and for all.

“So I apologize in every way for not being able to join you tomorrow night, and I especially apologize to all our invited guests who are having to change their plans. I’ll be back in front of you in-person before you know it. I thank everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone soon.”

Statement by Dr. Clay Marsh, MD, the State COVID-19 Czar and Vice President & Executive Dean for Health Sciences at West Virginia University:
“The Governor took the exact right course of action today. He got tested at the first sign of a COVID-19-related symptom, isolated himself, and, because he is over 65 years of age, he consulted with a doctor and was prescribed a monoclonal antibody treatment. I have full confidence that Governor Justice will recover quickly, and it’s because he chose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and his booster shot. Without the immunity afforded by those vaccines, his outcome could be much worse. I continue to strongly encourage all West Virginians to take the COVID-19 vaccine and get boosted when it’s time to do so. Everyone is susceptible to this infection, and with cases in the U.S. and in West Virginia at all-time highs, there has never been a more important time to get yourself and your family vaccinated.”

Additional information:
Tomorrow’s 10:00 a.m. economic development announcement will be announced by press release, and the event will still be held by other officials at the same time and place as listed in the media advisory.

PRINCETON, W.Va. (AP) — A county health administrator in West Virginia has resigned after his department mistakenly administered the wrong dosage of Moderna’s COVID-19 booster shot to about 200 people last month.

The Mercer County Health Department’s board accepted administrator Roger Topping’s resignation Tuesday night.

During an Oct. 28 vaccine clinic, full doses of the Moderna booster were given out instead of the recommended half doses, news outlets reported.

Dr. Ayne Amjad, the state’s health officer, said the full dose is not harmful but could cause a stronger side effect in some people.

Topping had said the department did not know half dosages should have been administered.

“We made a mistake,” Topping said. “We erred, and we are owning up to that. We are sorry it happened. But we thought we were doing what we were supposed to do. To my knowledge, we never received a memo that was directing us to use half of the full dose.”

Vaccine clinics operated by the Mercer County Health Department have been stopped temporarily.

PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) The Mercer County Board of Health has reportedly accepted Roger Topping’s resignation.

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph is reporting that Topping gave his letter of resignation and  30-day notice, prior to a special meeting Tuesday night. But board member Robb Williams made the motion to accept the resignation, effective immediately, and it passed unanimously.

According to the report, the meeting was called to consider what action, if any, needed to be taken after the health department mistakenly administered the wrong dosage of the COVID Moderna booster shot at a clinic in late October.

Newswatch reported earlier this week that the Mercer County Health Department was temporarily banned from giving booster shots when the state Bureau of Public Health discovered that some residents were given a full dose of Moderna rather than a half dose.

Topping said the department did not know the dosages should have been half, telling the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, “We made a mistake. We erred, and we are owning up to that. We are sorry it happened. But we thought we were doing what we were supposed to do.”

The bureau reportedly sent a team to the health department to evaluate what happened and educate personnel to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

In the report, board member Williams said a search will begin immediately for a replacement and he thanked Topping for his service at the health department.