Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced that the COVID-19 emergency is over and he would not be implementing a statewide mandate, as California has done because of the omicron variant.
“Everybody had more than enough opportunity to get vaccinated,” Polis said in an interview with Colorado Public Radio. “Hopefully it’s been at your pharmacy, your grocery store, a bus near you, [or at] big events. At this point, if you haven’t been vaccinated, it’s really your own darn fault.
“I don’t want to say that nobody [will get the virus if they’re] vaccinated, but it’s very rare. Just to put it in perspective, of the about 1,400 people hospitalized, less than 200 (or 16 percent) are vaccinated. And many of them are older or have other conditions. Eighty-four percent of the people in our hospitals are unvaccinated, and they absolutely had every chance to get vaccinated.
“And at this point, I think it’s almost like they made a deliberate decision not to get vaccinated. I still encourage everybody who hasn’t been vaccinated to get protected. And for those who are, make sure to get that booster after six months. The data shows it’s important and very likely even more so with this Omicron variant.
“If you haven’t been vaccinated, that’s your choice. I respect that. But it’s your fault when you’re in the hospital with COVID."
The democrat governor has called vaccinations the top tool in the fight against COVID-19. He circumvented an order from the federal government in November when he issued an order allowing all Colorado residents over the age of 18 to get a COVID-19 booster shot.
“Because disease spread is so significant across Colorado, all Coloradans who are 18 years of age and older are at high risk and qualify for a booster shot,” Polis said in the order.
“The Biden administration had originally envisioned boosters for all adults, but FDA scientific advisers in September rejected extra Pfizer doses for everyone,” noted The Washington Times. “The panel wasn’t convinced that young healthy people needed another dose and instead recommended boosters just for certain groups.”
Polis' remarks have been compared to those of Republican Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia. who said in a September statement, “You don't need to die and you don't need to get sick to make a point. ... I just don’t understand. Across the board, whether it’s President Trump, Jim Justice, the current administration – no matter who it may be – everybody is encouraging you to get vaccinated.”
Other states have ended the state of emergency implemented because of COVID-19. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster ended the pandemic-related state of emergency on June 7. Florida announced its state of emergency was over on June 26. Governor Janet Mill followed suit and ended Maine’s state of civil emergency on June 20. In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan terminated the state of emergency and state-wide mask mandate on July 1.
