By Justin Liddle
FLIPPIN, Ark. — From Fayetteville, it may be hard to see how people in rural areas are being affected by COVID-19.
Flippin has a population of around 1,000 people. Many of the residents work at either Ranger Boats or Vexus Boats. The biggest effect of the virus is people losing these jobs.
“Because there’s a lot of people that no longer have jobs, they’ve been taken away from the area completely and there’s no place for them to be employed even when this is over,” said Shayne Johnson, a resident of Flippin.
While the people of Flippin are managing at the moment, it will get more difficult the longer this pandemic goes on.
Johnson said there aren’t enough supplies in the area considering that they generally didn’t need as much.
There has been one confirmed case in Marion county, where Flippin is located.
“Living here, we’re still going to work, we’ve got to do a lot other things and it’s hard sitting in Flippin, Arkansas, to understand the depth of what this disease has done in New York,” said George Liddle, an employee at Vexus Boats.