LET’S ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND GET VACCINATED
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We all recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has tragically cut short the lives of many in the U.S. and around the world, has created great economic hardship and has interrupted the “normal” life for all of us. We also know that the number of positive cases is growing exponentially, not just in our region, but here in Siloam Springs.
According to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement website (https://achi.net/covid19), on November 30, Siloam Springs had 35 new cases per 10,000 residents, ranking us seventh among the 10 cities of Northwest Arkansas. As of January 11, Siloam Springs had 144 new cases per 10,000 residents, ranking us first out of those 10 cities. This increase is putting a strain on our hospital system as well as the hospitals throughout NWA. Gratefully, the numbers have come down some in the last two weeks but the challenge remains significant.
We all know the standard actions we should take to minimize the spread of COVID-19, which are the Three-Ws: Wash your hands; Watch your distance; Wear a mask. Those strategies will remain important for a while, and we encourage you to continue them.
However, we also now have a wonderful new resource to respond to the pandemic — safe and effective vaccines that are slowly becoming available in Siloam. Health care workers have already received them; our emergency responders and employees of Siloam Springs School District received them last week; JBU employees, citizens over age 70 and other essential workers will be receiving them soon. As city leaders, we are committed to doing all we can to make COVID-19 vaccines available as quickly as possible in Siloam Springs.
We realize that people have questions about the vaccines, so we want to provide you with what we believe is reliable information to answer those questions as you consider your options.
Center for Disease Control FAQ
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html
UAMS Vaccine Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW-SQAYKbno&feature=youtu.be
As community leaders, we are personally committed to taking the vaccine when it becomes available to us. But suppressing the pandemic will require the community to join together with us. We strongly encourage you, our friends and neighbors, to join us in rolling up your sleeve and receiving a vaccine when it becomes available to you so that together we can end the pandemic.