A Message from Mayor Stimpson-April 8, 2020
Apr 8th, 2020
Good evening,
It is 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, and I am writing to give you an update on the City of Mobile's efforts regarding COVID-19.
As of tonight, there are 249 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, and 8 deaths attributed to the virus. We know that number will continue to rise, particularly as more citizens are tested.
This week is crucial in the fight to stop the spread of Coronavirus. We are doing all within our power to protect you, in addition to our first responders and health care workers.
Today we visited 20 grocery stores across Mobile to see how they are doing with our new guidelines on social distancing. It's important because grocery stores are a common place where Coronavirus may be transmitted.
The stores we visited generally were doing a good job of sanitizing their shopping carts and touch points. There were mixed results as far as employees wearing protective gear. And, we observed very few customers wearing masks and gloves.
We also observed several best practices, which we are compiling and will share with other stores to improve their safety. For example:
- Winn-Dixie played messages over its intercom system reminding shoppers to keep a safe distance and follow CDC guidelines
- Rouse's installed protective barriers between cashiers and customers
- Publix got a "gold star" for its overall efforts. At every one of their stores we visited, they were keeping a precise count of customers, limiting the total to 20 percent of their approved capacity
We will continue to monitor these stores and provide feedback on how they can continue to operate safely.
Our grocery store workers are filling a vital role in our community as we deal with this pandemic. It's important we take these steps to keep them working and keep you safe.
We also are ramping up our efforts to take care of our most vulnerable citizens.
We were dismayed to learn that many of the nonprofit agencies charged with serving the homeless had ceased or significantly scaled back their operations.
One agency that has been standing in the gap is the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama. They have stayed on the job, serving our homeless population, and so we are collaborating with them to meet the needs of those who are at risk.
We are in the process of standing up hand-washing stations, bathrooms and meal service. More to come on that in the days ahead. As Major Thomas Richmond told us today: "We don't do what is comfortable. We do what is necessary!"
Other updates today:
- The Mobile Police Department conducted 18 "warning stops" of vehicles on city streets after the 10 p.m. curfew. There were no citations written last night, but Mobile Police will be writing tickets for those who defy the curfew going forward. There are very few reasons for anyone to be out between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., except to travel to and from essential businesses as defined in our order.
- We are seeing instances of thieves following delivery trucks and taking packages left on people's doorsteps. Please be a good neighbor and keep your eyes open for this type of crime. Citizens are urged to use the department's Teleserv to report crimes to police. Officers will take the complaint and complete an incident report over the telephone. The Mobile Police Department's Teleserve number is 251-208-7211.
- I met by phone with Dr. Bert Eichold of the Mobile County Health Department and Merceria Ludgood of the Mobile County Commission to coordinate our response efforts to COVID-19. We are collaborating and sharing information like never before, all in the interest of keeping you safe.
We continue to find individuals and businesses stepping up to help us win the fight against COVID-19.
Bobby Howell, owner of Clean Eatz in Mobile, has been donating meals to our first responders and health care workers who are staffing the test site at Ladd Stadium.
These workers are very much on the front lines of the fight against Coronavirus, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
Bobby has delivered more than 130 lunches so far - nutritious, high protein, high energy meals to keep these heroes fueled up.
I had a "Big Boy" wrap today and I can attest to their quality!
I know that Foosackly's has also donated meals and we are grateful for all of the support. Especially when we know this is such a tough time for restaurants. If you know of a good samaritan who is helping fill a need in our community, please reply to this email and tell us their story. We want to share that good news.
When we are united and our faith is strong, we can overcome any challenge.
Sincerely,
Mayor Sandy Stimpson