A Message from Mayor Stimpson - April 23
Apr 23rd, 2020
Posted in: COVID-19
Good evening,
It is 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, and I am writing to give you an update on the City of Mobile's efforts regarding COVID-19.
As of tonight, there are 810 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, out of 4,402 total tests. There are 38 deaths attributed to the virus. Please note that the total number of cases continues to rise, evidence that the disease is still spreading in Mobile.
It's been a busy day - just like every day for the past six weeks! We spent a couple of hours today talking with hospital administrators, doctors and specialists trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 testing that is taking place in the City of Mobile.
The data we are collecting from these tests is incredibly valuable, and is helping to inform our decisions going forward. We are developing ways to share this information with our partners in the Mobile County Health Department and the Mobile County Commission, so that we can work in collaboration.
And, of course, we want to share it with you. We are working overtime to learn and understand the data so that we can effectively communicate with our citizens. I'm excited about the opportunity to share more with you on this subject in the coming days.
Most of us may not be aware, but this week is Laboratory Professionals Week. I was invited by our friends at Synergy Labs in Mobile to record a brief video recognizing their employees.
If you've been reading these newsletters, you'll remember that Synergy is the local lab that stepped up in a major way to secure test kits for the City. And, under the leadership of chief executive Brad Pitts, they've done an amazing job at scaling up their ability to process test results for our local hospitals.
So I wanted to do more than a video. We drove out to Synergy, where the employees gathered in the parking lot (with plenty of space between them). And I stood in the back of a pickup truck and told them how much we appreciate what they're doing for Mobile. I believe the connection we've made was all part of God's plan as we move forward.
Our focus for tomorrow will be on finalizing our plans to enable our businesses to reopen safely. Governor Ivey's order closing non-essential businesses is set to expire on April 30, and she is expected to make an announcement about whether to extend it next week. We want to be prepared for a "green light."
It's easy to watch the news and comment on social media. It's another thing to listen to small business owners about the struggles they are having just to survive through this crisis.
Today, we had the opportunity to meet with a group of local barbers and beauty salon owners on a Zoom call. They gave us some great advice on how to help them safely re-open, so that they can serve their customers without risk of spreading the virus.
We will share those recommendations with the Governor and be a voice for our small businesses. Our top priority is protecting lives, but we must also find a way to protect livelihoods and enable people to safely return to work.
We will be very thoughtful in how we proceed, because the last thing we want to see is a resurgence of Coronavirus. We've come too far and sacrificed too much to go backward.
Today was a stormy day on the Gulf Coast and I hope that you and your loved ones were unharmed. I know that many of you are going stir crazy with all of this social distancing. And, many of you are feeling anxious about the threat of COVID-19.
We all have questions and fears. There is still so much uncertainty about this disease, but we are learning more every day and our ability to fight it is growing stronger. Remember that none of us is having to go it alone - we are all in this together.
We have so much to be grateful for tonight. Our first responders and health care workers are on the job, ready to take care of us. Some of the brightest minds in medicine and technology are racing to help us beat the virus. More resources are on the way, and the approach of summer is making it harder for the disease to spread.
Each of us, in practicing social distancing and good hygiene, is playing an important part in stopping the spread of Coronavirus. Staying home is hard but it is helping to protect those who are most vulnerable to the disease.
I'm grateful for you tonight. My prayer is that God bring you peace and good health, and that he strengthens our hands in the fight against illness. With clear minds and calm hearts, we will rise together.
Sincerely,
Mayor Sandy Stimpson