LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas' highest court on Thursday ordered the state to immediately make the coronavirus vaccine available to judges, prosecutors and other court employees, but Gov. Asa Hutchinson said they'll have to wait if they're not already eligible for the shots.
The state Supreme Court issued an order declaring the employees essential government workers that it said should be immediately eligible for the vaccine.
“These essential justice-system workers have placed themselves in harm’s way for nearly a year, with severe consequences," the court's unsigned order said.
Arkansas already has made people at least 65 years old eligible for the vaccine, along with several other groups that include teachers and health care workers. The governor on Tuesday also said that poultry plant and other food manufacturing workers are now eligible for the virus.
Hutchinson said the employees cited in the court's order are in phase 1-B of the state's vaccination plan, which the state hasn't fully opened for the vaccines. The court's order also called for making the vaccine available for some attorneys and jurors.
Gov. Hutchinson released the following statement as a response:
“I appreciate the Supreme Court’s concern for judges and staff members of the court system and for attorneys whose cases require them to work in person at a court house. Our schedule for vaccinations takes into account the needs and risk level for all Arkansans, and this group is not yet eligible in the 1B phase. As our allocation of vaccine increases, we will be able to move more quickly, but currently, court employees who don’t otherwise qualify for a shot will have to wait for their eligibility.”
(The Associated Press contributed to this article.)