West Virginia coach Bob Huggins speaks with an official during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor in Morgantown, W.Va., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delivers his annual State of the State address in the House Chambers at the state capitol in Charleston on Wednesday,
Chris Jackson | The Associated Press
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins speaks with an official during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor in Morgantown, W.Va., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday, hours after he met with West Virginia University athletic director Wren Baker and Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins, the governor’s office said.
It marked the second time that the Republican governor tested positive for COVID-19, following a positive result in January 2022 that forced him to postpone his annual State of the State address.
The 71-year-old Justice, who is fully vaccinated and boosted against the virus, had a sudden onset of mild symptoms. He was isolating at home and was under the care of several physicians, the governor’s office said in a statement.
Anyone who has been in close contact with Justice over the past few days is being notified, the statement said.
State lawmakers honored Huggins with citations on the floor of the Senate and House of Delegates. Huggins and Baker met with Justice separately in the governor’s reception room.
Huggins was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.
West Virginia plays No. 14 TCU in Morgantown on Wednesday night. It wasn’t immediately known what steps the university was taking due to the meeting among Huggins, Baker and the governor. An email sent to West Virginia’s sports communications office was not immediately returned.
Justice was in communication with his chief of staff and office staff to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly, the statement said.
After Justice contracted COVID-19 a year ago, he resumed his briefings on the virus a week later. Justice had developed a headache and high fever, and he received a monoclonal antibody treatment as recommended by his physician.
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