CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is back to work today, less than a week after testing positive for COVID-19. He thanked everyone for their prayers and good wishes.

The governor took off his face mask, as he was alone in his office for the Monday COVID-19 briefing.
As always he was joined via zoom with his COVID-19 Task Force. The governor praised his medical team, and said without the vaccines and a booster, he would have been in much worse shape. He called the whole ordeal profound.

“From the standpoint of really thinking that you are going to die, I don’t know that I progressed to that level. From the standpoint of being afraid, as to what was going on and everything, or alarmed, you know without question, I was surely there,” said Governor Jim Justice, (R-WV).

The governor again urged people to get vaccinated and get a booster shot.

While he was a breakthrough case, doctors say symptoms can be less severe among the vaccinated. The governor did update the numbers today.

West Virginia has more than 3,600 new cases, and more than 20,000 active cases. 854 people are now in the hospital with COVID-19.

The governor says his immediate family and staff have been tested and everyone is fine.