A Message from Mayor Stimpson - April 14
Apr 14th, 2020
Good evening,
It is 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, and I am writing to give you an update on the City of Mobile’s efforts regarding COVID-19.
As of tonight, there are 509 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, and 12 deaths attributed to the virus. We believe this is a pivotal week in the battle against Coronavirus, as health experts tell us we are nearing the peak for the spread of this disease in Mobile.
Tonight I am excited to share some great news with you. Cities across America are scrambling to obtain test kits needed to diagnose Coronavirus. Through some great work by our team and using relationships we’ve built over the years, we have been able to procure a supply of more than 6,000 test kits for the City of Mobile.
We’ve already tested more than 900 of our first responders - police, fire and emergency medical technicians. We did this to ensure that we take care of those who must take care of us. Secondly, the data we’ve been able to collect is invaluable as we use it to track the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Tonight I’m pleased to announce that we have made arrangements with our local hospitals to offer testing for our Mobile health care workers - doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are on the front lines of the battle against Coronavirus.
These heroes are putting themselves into harm’s way, risking their own health and safety so that they can be on the job to take care of us and our loved ones. I’m amazed at their dedication and professionalism, which is why I’ve joined so many of you in showing our appreciation at the “Light It Up Mobile” events these last few weeks.
But we want to do more than just thank them. We want to give them the resources and the reassurance that the City is supporting them. I can’t imagine what it’s like to work in an Intensive Care Unit during this challenging time. But I want them to know that the City has their back and help ease any anxiety they may be feeling.
We are making hundreds of test kits available to our hospitals this week. We are also working to supply them with protective equipment such as masks and gloves. Hopefully we will have more to say about that very soon.
Today, we received an unexpected gift of 1,000 N95 masks from my friend Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yair visited my office last year to share ideas on how to improve law enforcement. We are incredibly blessed by his donation, which is sorely needed.
Just a quick note on the challenge of overcrowding in our area “Big Box” stores. We’ve heard from many of you, pro and con, regarding this problem.
We made contact with a number of the stores today, including Wal-Mart and Home Depot. I’m pleased to report that they are taking steps to ensure that you can continue to shop safely.
The bottom line is this: If the “Big Boxes” will do what they’re supposed to do and limit the total number of people in the stores, and if we as customers do our part and follow the social distancing guidelines, there is no need for further action.
We are engaging with local, state and federal leaders on a plan to safely reopen small businesses impacted by the Coronavirus. Those conversations will continue over the next few days as we keep a close watch on the spread of the virus.
The best thing any of us can do is to follow the guidelines recommended by the experts: Keep your hands clean and don’t touch your face. Wear a mask and gloves if you have them. Keep six feet of distance between you and others. And, as much as possible, stay home and avoid going out, particularly if you are in one of the high-risk categories.
I want to close by saying that I continue to be inspired by you as we weather this storm together. Every day, ordinary Mobilians are stepping up and doing extraordinary things to help us overcome this threat to our community. We want to hear those stories, no matter how big or small.
We’ve created a special page on our web site where you can share those good deeds. Please visit our “Mobile Samaritans” page by clicking here: https://www.cityofmobile.org/mobile-samaritans/
Take care of yourself and God bless Mobile.
Sincerely,
Sandy
Good evening,