A Message from Mayor Stimpson - June 18
Jun 18th, 2020
Good evening,
It is 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 18 and I am writing to give you an update on the City of Mobile's efforts regarding COVID-19.
As of tonight, there have been 2,857 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, out of 37,354 total tests. There were 36 new patients with active COVID-19 as of this morning, and one death since Wednesday.
Looking around the state, the number of coronavirus cases in the state rose to 882 from yesterday, up from 390 the day before. The Alabama Department of Public Health's June 18 numbers show 27,796 cases in the state.
In Alabama, 322,124 have been tested for COVID-19, 96,173 in the last two weeks. Of those tested in the last 14 days, 8,746 were positive. Hospitalizations decreased to 677 from 683 the previous day.
We usually focus closely on the Mobile County numbers because they are the best indication of the spread of the disease in our community. Tonight I'd like to share a little information that we received from the Centers for Disease Control.
The number of cases of COVID-19 being reported in the United States is rising quickly. This increase is expected given an increase in testing and ongoing rapid spread of disease across communities in the United States.
While these numbers are concerning, the increase is not unexpected. More robust data will allow CDC to better understand and track the size and scope of the outbreak and strengthen prevention and response efforts. We've seen this at the local level as we've made significant improvements in our testing capacity, hospital preparedness and availability of protective gear such as masks, gloves and sanitizer.
The United States nationally is currently in the "acceleration" phase of the epidemic, according to CDC. The duration and severity of each phase can vary depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands have reported cases of COVID-19 to CDC.
Click here to visit the CDC's COVID view page for a summary and interpretation of key indicators that have been adapted to track the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
As of June 12, a total of 23,290,724 tests have been reported nationwide. Of those, 2,469,684 were positive (11%).
Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests:
-
- A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
- An antibody test tells you if you had a previous infection.
Both of these tests are available for people in Mobile.
An antibody test should not be used to find out if you have a current infection, because it can take 1-3 weeks after infection to make antibodies. CDC does not know yet if having antibodies to the virus can protect someone from getting infected with the virus again, or how long that protection might last.
While tonight's message is focused on COVID-19, please be assured we are working around the clock to keep you safe and to keep the wheels of progress turning.
Like Nehemiah, we'll keep rebuilding the broken things in the City of Mobile. Among all the strife and turmoil, there are opportunities to improve the quality of life for all of us.
I wish you a restful night's sleep. We will arise tomorrow with a cheerful heart spreading joy and finding ways to help our fellow citizens. I am grateful to work for you during this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Sandy Stimpson