WV and National Disaster News - August 30, 2021

ReadyWV website contains references and/or hyperlinks to other websites (News Media & Other Sites) that are not operated by or controlled by ReadyWV. These have been included for information purposes only and do not imply affiliation with or endorsement by ReadyWV. ReadyWV gives no guarantees and accepts no liability for the content, use and availability of these third-party websites.​​

WEST VIRGINIA

Government

WV Daily COVID Update and Stats for August 30, 2021 (WVDHHR) - Since last Friday, DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an 83-year old female from Kanawha County, a 77-year old female from Fayette
County, a 68-year old female from Cabell County, 35-year old female from
Monongalia County, a 60-year old male from Monongalia County, a 78-year old
female from Braxton County, a 44-year old male from Randolph County, an 88-year
old female from Fayette County, a 91-year old female from Wood County, an
80-year old male from Ohio County, a 69-year old male from Cabell County, a
57-year old female from Logan County, and a 94-year old female from Raleigh
County. 

Justice issues State of Preparedness for all 55 counties ahead of Hurricane Ida remnants (Office of the Governor)

Local

Active COVID-19 cases surpass 15,000 in West Virginia (WCHS)

WV funeral homes stressed, but not overwhelmed by increasing COVID deaths (WVMetroNews)

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Orders Agencies To Prepare As Hurricane Ida Moves Inland (CBS Pittsburgh)

OPINION: Preparing for the worst (The Exponent Telegram)

OPINION: Emergency drills are good for West Virginia (The Weirton Daily Times)

NATIONAL

COVID

No, Ivermectin Cannot Treat Covid-19 (Forbes)

Fed up, the vaccinated find their voice (Virginia Mercury)

The false claim that the fully-approved Pfizer vaccine lacks liability protection (The Washington Post)

WEATHER

Ida Downgraded To Tropical Storm; Will Impact Maryland Wednesday (Fox45News)

Schools open for full-scale in-person learning in D.C., Montgomery County and Arlington as pandemic persists (The Washington Post)

Hurricane Ida tracker: Map and projected path (The Washington Post)

Lake Tahoe threatened by massive fire, more ordered to flee (Associated press)

FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell discusses climate change issues (Rolling Out)

Afghan Evacuees

A slow process for screening evacuees arriving to the US has meant Afghans are waiting for hours on parked planes (Insider)

News coverage continued over the weekend on Afghan evacuees arriving in the U.S. and the role FEMA is playing in getting them tested and vaccinated. Business Insider reports FEMA has setup a COVID site at Dulles International Airport where evacuees will get the one-shot J&J vaccine. USA Today/Yahoo notes vaccination is a requirement for entry to the U.S.

NPR reports the federal government has also opened a mobile vaccination unit at Dulles to administer shots to American citizens and green card holders arriving from Afghanistan. A second mass vaccination site is expected at Philadelphia International Airport in the coming days. Evacuees will be taken to military bases in Virginia, Texas, Wisconsin and New Jersey for further processing.

CBS News Philly (PA) reports more than 500 evacuees arrived at the airport on Saturday. Refugees are being taken to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, which has a capacity for 3,500 evacuees. Related articles include the New York Post, ABC 8 News (VA), Inside NOVA (VA), and Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA)