LITTLE ROCK, AR -- The Chris Jones for governor campaign announced today that all staff and interns will be required to be fully vaccinated. The Delta variant is spreading rapidly, and cases are rising across Arkansas, with 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."
Chris's wife Jerrilyn works as an emergency room physician and serves on a task force on which she helped develop a plan for moving patients if hospitals exceed capacity. Jerrilyn's work on the front lines and firsthand experience with the devastation of COVID underlines how important it is for the Jones campaign to comply with guidance from the CDC. The Jones campaign encourages everyone eligible to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
ABOUT DR. CHRIS JONES
Dr. Chris Jones grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. A son of two preachers, Chris was raised with a strong sense of faith. He graduated from Watson Chapel High School and attended Morehouse College on a NASA Scholarship for physics and math, then went on to study at MIT, becoming a nuclear engineer and earning a Ph.D. in urban planning. After becoming ordained as a minister, Chris returned home to Arkansas and led the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Through this work, he has seen firsthand how disparities within Arkansas have gotten worse, not better. He believes there is much room for growth, including improving public education opportunities in every community, strengthening infrastructure from roads to broadband access, protecting and securing our right to vote, and bridging the rural and urban divide. Chris has faith in Arkansas's potential, and he is running for governor to ensure every person in Arkansas has an opportunity to succeed.