Our Governor closed campgrounds- including private ones - several days ago to anyone NEW from out-of-State, allowing those that have been there for a while already to stay. Hotels & B & Bs are still considered essential, not that anyone is staying here or booking. I called the hospital offering my Gillum Room, the only one I am offering for rent right now. So far, no takers.
Because the hospitals were ordered no elective procedures, they are more than half empty and are now laying OFF employees. The major medical center in the Capital was interviewed on radio yesterday. The CEO said it takes 3,? (can't remember the .) MILLION per day to operate. They are generating just over one million currently because of the services they are not able to do now waiting "for the surge". As of this morning we have now had 3 deaths in the entire State.
As I recall your state was the last in the nation to test positive for the virus. Let’s hope the extra lead time and rural nature of your town allow your population to escape the worst of this disease.
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Yes, we were. They finally dragged someone across the border. We are surrounded by 5 States and it was someone near the DC side that was the first. We have 4 or 5 in our County - so far none in Shinnston - about 200 in the State.
We were already so far down the food chain economically that it did not take much to dump us in the black hole. Tourism is our main economy - and you know where that is right now.
What we have going for us is the fact that we WERE so far down the food chain that we are used to getting by with very little. Some of you pay more in all your taxes than I gross in a year to give you an idea of how things are here. Many jobs pay less than $10 per hour but we get by - and that is what many West Virginians consider OK because we live with beauty around us, most are outdoorsmen, and most people have a garden and can that garden. It is hard to explain to outlanders. And, we take care of our own.
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I thought the first case was a local. Someone who resides in WV and was unable to get tested for a week or so because there were no tests and then no doctor or hospital would allow him on the premises to even verify what he had.
But, who knows. Maybe it was a tourist. Not an actual resident.
We’re also lucky to live in an outlier state. All our farm stands are open with fresh veggies, dairy, and meats. Lots of fresh fish as well.
Grocery stores are hiring. Several of our small, local shops are working with health care providers to make masks they can use to protect the good masks from getting dirty.
My health insurance provider is so small they actually called to ask if I was ok.
We’ve been mostly ok given how spread out we are. We’re amusing ourselves and getting by.
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