After a tough year and a half that was filled with quarantine, masks, and sacrifices on everyone’s part, especially people that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, it’s starting to look like we’re heading backwards.

In less than a year since the outbreak of COVID-19, the brightest scientists in the world created a safe and effective vaccine, using the latest technology and over 50 years of research and learning. Although the rollout was off to a bumpy start, by April of this year the vaccine became widely available to anyone who wanted it in the country.

Now, too many people are rejecting the vaccine, and our case counts are once again rising. Horrible leadership and mixed messages from the Trump administration, and a small but vocal number of anti-vaxxers have promoted fear, confusion, and misguided behavior. Once again, many of our biggest cities seem headed for disaster.

Although Clayco has a higher number of folks that are vaccinated, we still have many who aren’t. It’s baffling to me that smart people are not getting vaccinated, and it puts leadership in an uncomfortable position of not being able to protect those who can’t get vaccinated due to underlying conditions. Although we’re trying our best to avoid mandates, many of our clients are setting vaccine requirements for job sites.

I ask people to please get vaccinated. Protect yourself, your family, your neighbors, and me. If you aren’t vaccinated, protect us all by wearing masks inside, getting tested often, avoiding crowds, and social distancing. It’s the only way we’re going to get out of this, and it’s your duty and responsibility to stop the spread.