MEMPHIS, Tennessee — "I got my COVID shot, why everybody else can't get theirs? Elma King from West Memphis, AR asked Monday.
King didn't hide her frustrations as barely a quarter of her fellow Crittenden County neighbors are protected with a COVID-19 vaccine.
"If everybody just go on and we work together and get this done, everything will be OK," King added.
"We are nowhere near the end if we only have 27% percent vaccinated," West Memphis Emergency Management Director DeWayne Rose added.
That's why West Memphis leaders Monday again sounded the alarm and urged those living there to be more precautious out and about - regardless of vaccination status.
“We will be strongly urging people to start back wearing their mask when they are in public," West Memphis, AR Mayor Marco McClendon said.
The new recommendation follows a surge in active COVID cases in West Memphis - from 25 to 99 - in just the past three weeks.
"We do know in this area the Delta variant is rising, we can take the proper precautions to keep our community safe and hopefully avoid another shutdown," Mayor McClendon said.
Mayor McClendon also laid out the community's upcoming COVID plan of attack, especially since there a state law passed this year banned any municipality from enacting a mask mandate.
"We are going to work with our COVID task force, try to get more in the apartment communities, set up vaccination shots over there as well so people can basically walk out of their home and get vaccinated," Mayor McClendon said.
He also pointed to larger local businesses such as Bosch Tool Corp. for their mask requirements and reminded of free vaccinations at places such as the East Arkansas Family Health Center.
Monday's announcement here in West Memphis followed news last week across the river in Memphis, when members of the Shelby County also recommended wearing masks for the time being, regardless of vaccination status, in large, indoor public spaces.