The Chris Jones for governor campaign announced Wednesday that all staff and interns will be required to be fully vaccinated. Jones’ team cited the rapid spread of the Delta variant and rising cases of infection across the state as reasons behind their decision. Arkansas currently has the fourth-highest number of new cases per 100,000 people in the United States.
“We have a responsibility to our communities to help keep people safe,” said a campaign spokesperson. “Our campaign is committed to best health practices to combat this pandemic, and that includes requiring vaccinations and masks for our team. We’re leading by example and doing everything possible to help reduce transmission while still safely engaging with voters all across the state.”
Dr. Chris Jones grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and has a degree in urban planning from MIT. He is the former leader of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Jones’ wife Jerrilyn is an emergency room physician and serves on a task force which helped develop a plan for moving patients if hospitals exceed capacity. Jerrilyn’s work on the front lines and firsthand experience with COVID is also a factor in the Jones’ campaign’s decision to enforce the recommendation from the CDC.
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