Putting this pandemic in our rear-view mirror

Dear friends,

Earlier this year, my wife Martha and I received our COVID-19 vaccinations. It was such a relief for both of us to know that we were one step closer to safely spending time with friends and family, and traveling to visit our two boys Christopher and Ben.

Today, with every vaccine administered, we are finally seeing more and more light at the end of tunnel. Thanks to bold action from President Biden and Governor Carney, along with resources made available by Congress in the historic American Rescue Plan, we have defied expectations for getting people vaccinated quickly and safely.

To date, about 57 percent of Delawareans ages 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose. Across the country, in just over four months, we have gone from zero to about 60 percent of American adults receiving at least one dose.

But our work is far from over. We all have to keep working together to finally put this pandemic in our nation’s rear-view mirror. So if you are not vaccinated, now is the time. And if you have family or friends who are still hesitant, encourage them to seek out the facts from places like the Centers for Disease Control and the Delaware Division of Public Health.

I stopped by one of Public Health’s newest standalone vaccination clinics in Dover today, staffed by our state’s National Guard and led by Colonel Robert Ginsburg. I thanked the guardsmen for their hard work fighting the pandemic and helping Delawareans get vaccinated.

In the First State, COVID-19 vaccines are available from hospital systems, pharmacies, some doctor’s offices, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Division of Public Health clinics or other state-coordinated events and community-based events. And as profiled yesterday in the New York Times, the state is also deploying buses as mobile vaccination clinics, to reach Delawareans in rural areas and our most vulnerable communities. To find a place to get vaccinated near you visit de.gov/getmyvaccine or call 1-833-643-1715 (press option 3).

Now is the time to get vaccinated — for yourself, your family, and for our communities.

Sincerely,

Tom Carper