Want all of Mississippi to get back to normal after COVID? We need your help.
The words we’ve all been waiting to hear came Thursday.
“If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic,” the CDC said.
No masks in most places. No more hidden smiles or muffled small talk. No more rooting through your car or purse to find a mask before you go into a store.
Even for those already operating as normal, the CDC’s change means the world around you may soon feel more familiar.
But — and that’s a big but, no cap as Gen Z says — the new guidance only applies if and when you are fully vaccinated.
In Mississippi, that’s still only about one in four people.
The coronavirus is still spreading among the unvaccinated. So far this month in South Mississippi, six people have died and there have been over 400 new cases.
Those numbers are thankfully much lower than they were a few months ago. But they’re not nothing.
Now that most people who wanted a shot have gotten it, the challenge is convincing the rest of the state. It’s a long-term challenge, the state’s top doctor Thomas Dobbs has said, and it’s one that confronts the deep, underlying issues Mississippi has always had when it comes to health care.
The only way to make sure all Mississippians are safe is for everyone to get vaccinated. And it’s going to take a while.
To that end, the Sun Herald wants to help. It’s perfectly normal to have doubts or questions about vaccines, and we want to get answers to people who need them.
We’ve already been fundraising to hire a reporter that can be dedicated solely to coverage of vaccine distribution, doubt and the coronavirus recovery. We’re looking for someone who will not just write stories, but explore out-of-the-box ideas and partnerships to help fight misinformation.
It’s a trend that’s happening across the country, news outlets of all shapes and sizes — from nonprofit digital startups to traditional for-profit media — are growing their reporting power by identifying an issue the community cares about, and asking for support to address it.
We’re only $1,300 away from being able to hire a full-time reporter for six months. Ideally, we’d like to raise $34,000 more to bring them on for a year.
Now, we’re asking for your help by donating to our spring fundraiser campaign at sunherald.com/donate.
If you prefer to send in a check, please make it payable to “Journalism Funding Partners” and in the notes field on the check, write “The Sun Herald.” If you include your email address, we’ll send you a tax donation letter confirming your gift. Checks should be mailed to: McClatchy, PO Box 15779, Sacramento, CA, 95852.
For our spring campaign, we have partnered with Journalism Funding Partners. To learn more about JFP, go to www.jfp-local.org.
This story was originally published May 17, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
