WV and National Disaster News - December 3, 2021

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WEST VIRGINIA

Government

WV Daily COVID Update & Stats for December 3, 2021 (WV DHHR) - There have been 17 deaths reported since yesterday's report on 12/2/21, with a total of 4,962 deaths attributed to COVID-19. DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an 88-year old female from Pendleton County, a 31-year old female from Marshall County, a 59-year old male from Lincoln County, a 92-year old female from Marshall County, a 63-year old female from Lewis County, a 70-year old female from Kanawha County, an 83-year old male from Ohio County, a 65-year old male from Morgan County, a 45-year old male from Morgan County, a 73-year old male from Kanawha County, a 77-year old female from Harrison County, a 69-year old female from Marshall County, a 59-year old male from Berkeley County, a 72-year old male from Hardy County, an 86-year old male from Jackson County, a 22-year old female from Hardy County, and a 54-year old female from Preston County.

“As we remember these families, we also remind anyone over the age of 18 and at least 6 months from the last dose of their Moderna or Pfizer vaccination or at least 2 months from Johnson & Johnson vaccination that they are due for a booster shot,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “Please schedule yours today.” .

COVID

WV tops 7,000 active COVID cases, adds 50 deaths (MetroNews-Radio)

Twenty-two West Virginia counties are red on the virus alert map (The Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

Kanawha adds COVID-19-related death, 99 new positive cases Thursday (WCHS-TV)

West Virginia's COVID vaccination numbers drop after data reconciliation (WBOY-TV)

West Virginia governor expresses concern over state's poor vaccination rate (WDVM-TV)

Hoyer explains recent confusion with West Virginia's vaccination totals (The Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

WV Attorney General wins injunction with OSHA vaccine mandate (WVNS-TV)

Mercer County moves back to red as new COVID cases rise, three deaths reported (The Bluefield Daily Telegraph)

Weather

Crews battle overnight forest fire at Cacapon State Park (MetroNews-Radio)

New River Gorge Brush Fire Expands to 150 Acres (West Virginia Public Broadcasting-Radio)

Weather helped, but Beauty Mountain Fire continues to burn (MetroNews-Radio)

New River Gorge fire shrinks; Pennsylvania crew arrives to assist with containment (MetroNews-Radio)

EPA funds research key to environmental justice mapping tool (E&E News)

national

COVID

'The fire that's here': US is still battling delta variant (Associated Press/AP)

Pfizer COVID pill benefited from research on SARS (NPR)

Omicron Coronavirus Variant Found in Multiple US States (WRC/NBC Washington)

Biden says he doesn't want lockdowns and won't expand vaccine mandates to fight Covid this winter (CNBC)

Biden Announces Tripling of Federal Deployments to Fight COVID-19 Surge (Government Executive)

Grappling with an uncertain reality as the omicron covid variant surfaces (Washington Post)

Sending the right message about the Omicron variant is tricky (NPR)

Weather

'It breaks my heart': Terrebonne and Lafourche residents still waiting for state and FEMA trailers (HoumaToday)