Governors push unity in COVID response: Not going to let ‘presidents of a different party stand in the way'

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A bipartisan group of governors sought to set the record straight Saturday, telling reporters during a National Governors Association event in Washington, D.C., that political leanings would not affect their resolve to squash the coronavirus pandemic. 

"America needs to understand that we are working together as leaders, from the federal branch to the state level, to get behind this pandemic," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. "And we're not going to let…presidents of a different party stand in the way."

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Asa Hutchinson, governor of Arkansas, speaks with members of the media following a community town hall to promote Covid-19 vaccinations at Arkansas State University. (Liz Sanders/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Hutchinson said governors across the U.S. have "genuine heart in standing together" to address the deadly virus that has infected more than 73.5 million Americans and killed over 870,000 since the pandemic began, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Arkansas Republican was joined by Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who told Fox News Digital in an interview that one of the biggest hurdles governors face in the ongoing pandemic is misinformation surrounding the vaccine.  

"Misinformation is a big one – the data is so clear to anyone who steps outside the rabbit hole," Polis said.  

Colorado has reported an 85% vaccination rate, but the governor noted that 70- 80% of all hospitalizations are unvaccinated individuals. 

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DENVER, CO - JANUARY 08: Colorado Governor Jared Polis' on stage during the Blue Sneaker Ball at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science January 05, 2019. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

"From the small 15% of the population you get three-quarters of people being hospitalized, and it's just so stark," he added.

The highly contagious omicron variant pushed a spike in COVID cases by the end of 2021 and the U.S. has continued to report a rise in deaths at levels not seen since before the vaccine became widely available.   

Polis voiced frustration that a clearer plan was not presented to the American public with the rollout of the third vaccine. 

"We think they should call it the third dose. And frankly, had they just moved quicker, it would have made the delta wave a lot less deadly if we had been able to distribute those third doses more widely," he argued.

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The Colorado Democrat said he would like to see the White House refine its messaging when it comes to getting shots in arms. 

"Early on they made it overcomplicated when they talked about this age or that age and this condition or that condition, the truth is everybody gets a higher level of protection from the third dose – and that should have been the situation from the start," he added.