Gov. Jim Justice: Coronavirus May Drive Urban Exodus, Return to Rural Life
BY Robert Kraychik
Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) told Breitbart News the coronavirus outbreak may drive Americans to choose life in rural areas over urban alternatives. He joined Tuesday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow to discuss West Virginia’s dealing with the virus.
Marlow asked about possible disenchantment with urban living among big city residents during the coronavirus outbreak and the appeal of rural life.
“We’re seeing that some of the most densely packed cities are what’s getting hit the hardest,” said Marlow of coronavirus infection rates. “It makes perfect sense when people literally live on top of each other and are sharing the same subway cabs constantly. There are huge levels of crazy international travel coming in and out. Do you think people are going to be yearning to end up in a place like West Virginia? Do you think it’s going to make your state more appealing to people?”
Justice replied, “Well, I would surely hope so. … If you could see what I’ve lived with every day in West Virginia, you would be packing up and heading here tomorrow, because it’s the most pristine air, the most pristine water, good family people that have real values, low crime, good schools, the roads are good.”
Justice continued, “There’s just so much goodness that’s happening right in West Virginia. We’re within a rock’s [throw] — we’re within 600 miles — of two-thirds of the population of this country, and border states all the way around us.”
Despite 19.9 percent of West Virginians being 65 years of age or older, the Mountain State has “fared amongst the best [of states] in terms of the virus,” Justice said. According to Axios’s interactive coronavirus map of the U.S., West Virginia has had 24 deaths from 902 cases of coronavirus infection. Per 100,000 persons, the coronavirus has caused one death and 49 infections in West Virginia.
full story at https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2020/04/21/gov-jim-justice-coronavirus-may-drive-urban-exodus-return-to-rural-life/