A Message from Mayor Stimpson - December 23
Dec 23rd, 2020
Good evening,
It is 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 23, and I am writing to give you an update from the City of Mobile.
Today, the Mobile County Health Department reports 24,120 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 269 cases. To review MCHD's detailed report, click here. If you have been reading this additional data released by MCHD, you may have noticed there have been a significant number of reported deaths from COVID-19 recently. While any loss of life is tragic, there is some needed context for these numbers.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has been reviewing death certificates to identify deaths not previously identified as related to COVID-19. As new deaths attributed to COVID-19 that occurred between March and December are documented, they are counted on the day they are “reported” not the day they occurred. This does not indicate a recent uptick in local deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Over the past week, we’ve seen dozens of Mobilians receive the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer, and shipments of a second vaccine created by Moderna are expected to begin arriving at Alabama hospitals next week. Our area has been fortunate to have multiple hospitals receive these early shipments of the vaccine so that we can begin immunizing essential employees.
Through a partnership with USA Health, the City began vaccinating first responders in the Mobile Police Department and Mobile Fire Rescue Department last week. That process is being overseen by the hospitals, which are tasked with distributing the vaccines they receive from each of the manufacturers.
Earlier this week, Historic Hotels of America named the Battle House as the “Best Historic Hotel” in the United States. Known as “Mobile’s Living Room,” the Battle House Hotel & Spa in downtown Mobile, Alabama, has welcomed international guests since opening in 1852. This designation by Historic Hotels of America is great news not only for the Battle House but also for the City of Mobile.
I’d like to congratulate the Battle House's longtime general manager Margo Gilbert on this award as well as Dr. David Bronner, Chief Executive Officer of the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Over the years, Dr. Bronner and RSA have continued to invest in our City, and we are grateful for all they’ve done for Downtown Mobile.
As we look back, 2020 will be remembered by some as tragic, some as triumphant and others as something in between. Most people will be saying good riddance, but a lot has happened since January.
Most of the “Year in Review” headlines will be about the COVID-19 pandemic — its emergence; its devastating impact on families, communities and the nation; and the development and delivery of a working vaccine. Other headlines will be about the 2020 elections. Others may focus on the civil and social unrest following the death of George Floyd and the way communities around the country responded. In Mobile, there will probably be additional headlines about hurricanes Sally and Zeta.
Was the year challenging? You bet! Were there tense moments of concern about making crucial decisions and their impact on our future? There were! However, despite all of these tumultuous things, Mobilians still have so much to be thankful for. I don’t know if I’ve ever prayed as fervently as I have in 2020.
While God may not have answered all of your prayers or my prayers, he has answered so, so many.
Sleep tight,