Alabama is dead last in vaccinations, with "only 33.9 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated." Almost every single person hospitalized or dead from COVID has been unvaccinated there in recent months. And with a recent surge in infections, Gov. Kay Ivey has had enough with so-called "vaccine hesitancy" in her state.
Ivey hasn't been blameless either (see tweets below), but it's still interesting to see some Republicans now making the unvaccinated scapegoats for their own mismanagement of this crisis. We seem to have turned a page in recent days with Republicans finally pushing for vaccinations. Hopefully, some good will come from that.
Source: The Week
As COVID-19 cases rise in the state, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) is blasting those choosing not to get vaccinated for "letting us down."
Ivey pleaded with residents of Alabama to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid a rise in new cases, noting that "the new cases in COVID are because of unvaccinated folks," who she said are "choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain," per CBS 42. When a reporter, pointing out that Alabama is last in the country in its vaccination rate, asked what it will take to get more people vaccinated, Ivey said, "I don't know, you tell me."
"Folks supposed to have common sense," she said. "But it's time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It's the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down."
The reporter followed up to ask Ivey, "But as the leader of the state, don't you think it's your responsibility to try and help get this situation under control?" Ivey said she's "done all I know how to do," adding, "I can encourage you to do something, but I can't make you take care of yourself."
Now, lest you get the mistaken impression that Kay Ivey is even remotely progressive on this, let's remind you that she's still a Republican and still Governor of a state called Alabama.
A quick Google search shows that in May, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill that prohibited private businesses and public institutions from requiring COVID-19 "vaccine passports" to access services or refusing those not inoculated.
So, "I don't know, you tell me," huh? https://t.co/fDO6pW984v— John Lee (@koreanforeigner) July 23, 2021
With Covid cases rising, Alabama has the nation’s worst vaccination rate. Yet Gov. Kay Ivey says she’s done enough.
She’s a liar.
She lifted mask mandates early, banned business from requiring vaccines, and supported TFG who repeatedly lied about Covid.pic.twitter.com/qK70mCGJy2— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 23, 2021
Kay Ivey can shut up and take responsibility!
Alabama has the nation’s worst vaccination rate. Ivey lifted mask mandates and refused to let businesses require vaccines.
The GOP politicized this pandemic and has the nerve to blame their people now?pic.twitter.com/Pyh18paDSh— Heather Gardner (@heathergtv) July 23, 2021
So not entirely blameless herself for the mess in Alabama.
Check out the reaction from her staffer as Ivey reacts to a reporter's question on what Ivey can do about it.
Alabama’s Republican Governor @kayiveyforgov has had enough with unvaccinated people in her state:
“It’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.” pic.twitter.com/MCLRJr5GQn— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 23, 2021
