GOP Gov. confesses the 'unvaccinated' are likely to blame for the latest COVID case surge

One Republican governor is blaming the "unvaccinated" for the alarming surge in COVID cases. On Thursday, July 22, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) called out the residents in her state who adamantly refuse to get vaccinated even as the Delta variant of the coronavirus ravages the state.

During an interview with CBS-42 of Birmingham, Ivey voiced her concerns about the accelerated spread of the virus.

"It's time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks," Ivey told the publication. "It's the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down."

Ivey, also one of the few Republican leaders to publicly embrace the vaccine, also criticized right-wing conservative media outlets for spreading misinformation and sowing doubt about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. She noted that the state's rise in hospitalizations is most prevalent among unvaccinated Americans.

"Let's be crystal clear about this issue," Ivey said, adding, "And media, I want you to start reporting the facts. The new cases of COVID are because of unvaccinated folks. Almost 100% of the new hospitalizations are with unvaccinated folks. And the deaths are certainly occurring with the unvaccinated folks. These folks are choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain."

The latest from Ivey comes shortly after Dr. Brytney Cobia a physician at the Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., revealed some of the regrets her unvaccinated COVID patients have as they are hospitalized and battling COVID.

"They cry. And they tell me they didn't know. They thought it was a hoax. They thought it was political. They thought because they had a certain blood type or a certain skin color they wouldn't get as sick. They thought it was 'just the flu'. But they were wrong. And they wish they could go back. But they can't. So they thank me and they go get the vaccine. And I go back to my office, write their death note, and say a small prayer that this loss will save more lives."

Alabama is one of many states facing an alarming rise in COVID cases. Over the last two weeks, alone, Alabama has reported nearly 10,000 more new cases as the hospitalization rate also continues to rise.