With the rise of the Omicron variant, we continue to see a massive threat from the COVID-19 pandemic. While vaccinations continue to prove an incredibly important tool in preventing severe illness, the potential remains - especially given Omicron’s mutations and transmissibility - for even the vaccinated to catch and spread COVID to their loved ones. There also remain concerns about the vaccine’s efficacy in some immunocompromised individuals, who may not be able to generate the antibodies that others can.

Given this, *as well as* the fact that Governor Justice has made clear he will no longer mandate masks, WV MUST do all it can to allow its citizens to protect themselves. And, since regular cloth and surgical masks don’t offer self-protection unless *everyone* wears them, we need a stronger solution.

We call on Governor Justice to use funds available to the state to purchase a regular supply of KN-95 and/or N-95 masks for all West Virginians who:

A. work in a field with high COVID risk (I.e., hospitals, schools, other indoor fields with close proximity to people),

-and/or-

B. are immunocompromised,

-and-

C. would indicate that they would like such masks.