ARKANSAS, USA — The recent spike in Covid numbers paired with the state’s low vaccination rate has health officials worried. Governor Asa Hutchinson is hoping to get more people vaccinated before kids are back in school.
“We are now going in the wrong direction yet again,” said Arkansas Dr. Cam Patterson.
In the last month, Arkansas has seen some of its highest daily increases since February.
“We have to be concerned that this would be a trend that could continue. If it does, it would appear that we may be in the beginning of the third surge of Covid-19 here in the state of Arkansas,” said Dr. Patterson.
That’s why the governor says we must move quickly to get more people vaccinated. “The solution is the vaccinations,” Governor Hutchinson said.
Out of the state’s 3 million people, only 1 million have been vaccinated. As the Delta Variant enters Arkansas. It’s raising concern.
“Delta is the most transmissible of the variants identified so far. and is spreading rapidly among unvaccinated populations,” said WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Because of this, Governor Hutchinson says he’s not worried about the older population, but the youth.
“It is younger adults that are now getting hit with a Delta Variant which is more contagious,” Governor Hutchinson said. He says, if more aren’t vaccinated before this fall, “We’re going to have trouble in the next school year and over the winter. So, we want to get ahead of the curve…working very hard to do that.” But says they’re running into speed bumps with vaccine hesitancy.
“In a rural state, in a conservative state there is hesitancy and you’re trying to overcome that,” said Governor Hutchinson.
Despite that, he hopes to have more people vaccinated and covid hospitalizations continue to rise.
“Got to get this vaccination out, “Governor Hutchinson said.