ELKINS — A Randolph County commissioner stated Monday that the $100,000 block grants announced by Gov. Jim Justice as “hero pay” for frontline workers in each county are not what they were originally perceived to be.

“In the letter we received from the governor’s office, it said that it had to be used in a way that was in line with the CARES Act, and it specifically prohibited from giving any bonuses to employees from the CARES Act,” Commissioner Mark Scott stated during a Monday afternoon conference call among county leaders concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scott noted there is no provision within the grant that allows for the pay of any frontline worker.

On April 10, Justice announced that each of West Virginia’s 55 counties will receive a grant in the amount of $100,000 to utilize at their discretion to reward “hero pay” for the various front line personnel and first responders involved in the effort.

“Those at the county level are the ones that need to make the real judgment on getting this money to the people who have been looking out for us in every way and thank them so much,” Justice said April 10. “It’s the best and simplest way to handle it.”

During Monday’s conference call, Scott said, “The only thing we can pay for is any expenses for personnel that are directly related to the COVID virus, and it has to be in addition to what their normal duties would be.

“For example, if our deputies are out working overtime, if they would normally be working overtime anyway, that’s not covered in this $100,000 block grant.”

Scott then stated that upon receiving further clarification from the state auditor’s office and in a letter from the governor’s office, commissioners found that the grant is not intended for “hero pay” at all and is not designed to cover extra pay or bonuses for frontline employees.

“I think the way it was originally characterized was unfortunate, but as we’ve gotten further clarification, we’ve realized that it’s not for that,” Scott said.

“It’s unfortunate; the counties have now been put in a position where people are reaching out to us (…) and when we get clarification, we find out that’s not what it’s for at all,” he said.

On April 15, Justice announced that checks, valued at $100,000 each, went out to all 55 counties across West Virginia that day to allow for men and women on the front lines fighting the spread of COVID-19 to receive “hero pay” for their service to the state.

Also during Monday’s conference call:

∫ Cindy Hart, executive director for the Randolph County Office of Emergency Management, advised that there were 89 COVID-19 testing sites, 265 recoveries and 22 first responders quarantined statewide as of Monday morning, noting that while all other rates have increased, the number of quarantined first responders has decreased “almost by half” since Friday.

Statewide, as of 5 p.m. Monday, there had been 908 confirmed cases, with 26 deaths, and a total of 22,357 residents tested, with a 4.06% rate of positive test results, according to the state Department of Health & Human Resources.

In our region, Randolph, Barbour, Tucker and Upshur counties had four confirmed cases of COVID-19 each as of 5 p.m. Monday, while Hardy County had three, Lewis and Pendleton counties had two each, Grant and Braxton had reported one each and Pocahontas and Webster counties reported no cases.

“In our region, it looks like we’re doing pretty well,” Hart said. “Our region by far has the lowest (statewide), which is awesome.”

• Hart discussed the state program for sterilization and reuse of N95 masks for first responders.

“I’ve spoken with the commission and Bonnie (Woodrum of the Randolph-Elkins Health Department) and there are still a lot more questions. (…) Right now, I don’t see a need for doing that and potentially endangering anyone, but we will stay on top of that,” she said.

• Hart stated there continue to be people who are not staying home as directed during the pandemic.

“If you drive to and from work and you can see so many people out (…) it’s just very sad that they don’t take this more seriously,” she said.

• In regard to church services during the pandemic, Hart stated, “Constitutionally speaking, I cannot tell them they cannot have church, when to start back or not to have it, so I’ve been telling them that they need to use their best judgement. If at all, have it outside.

“If they are intending on having it I would strongly discourage it, but I will not tell them no.”

“Maybe they could do a Facebook (live) or a Zoom or something like that. Either way it went, we would help them on the technology piece of it, but we could not step in one way or the other and give them any other guidance,” she said.

• Hart noted that law enforcement has had to close a barber shop that remained open despite mandated closures.

“They did put an order on them to remain closed, but that’s the only nonessential business I know of that has tried to reopen,” she said, adding that law enforcement officials are continuing to work with nonessential businesses and that most are abiding by the laws, starting to lay off employees and shutting down production.

“That could be very problematic for the economic portion, but we wouldn’t see it hit for about 30 to 60 days, I expect,” she said.

• Woodrum said the Randolph-Elkins Health Department has received four more reports of patients who have tested negative for COVID-19.

“Most of our citizens are doing their very best to go by the rules, and I think that’s one reason — probably a big reason — that we don’t have any more positives than we do, so we need to encourage that,” Woodrum said.