A Message from Mayor Stimpson - March 23
Mar 23rd, 2020
Posted in: COVID-19
Good evening,
It is 9 p.m. on Monday, March 23, and I am writing to give you an update on the City of Mobile's efforts regarding COVID-19.
Tonight we had our third confirmed case of COVID-19 in Mobile County. My top priority remains your health and safety, and my team is fully engaged in the effort to protect you from this threat to our community.
I am continuing to devote significant time in the effort to obtain test kits for the City of Mobile. There is still a shortage of test kits around the country, but the private sector is stepping up to meet demand. You can count on this: You will see more testing done soon, and more test results being completed by the labs.
COVID-19 is first and foremost a public health crisis. But it is also an economic crisis, and we cannot lose sight of that fact. We already are seeing that it is having a devastating effect on so many of our citizens and small business owners.
We must protect lives and we must protect livelihoods as well. Today, the City of Mobile and the Community Foundation of South Alabama launched a Disaster Relief Fund to help those who are hurting as a result of this pandemic. To learn more visit https://www.communityfoundationsa.org/.
A few more things I did today:
- I met with my executive team to get an update on city operations, and to make sure that city government is continuing to serve our citizens. It is imperative that the wheels of government keep turning. I am grateful that we have such a dedicated team of public servants working for you at City Hall.
- I met with Owen Bailey and Dr. John Marymount at USA Health System to review our plans for COVID testing. We are fortunate to have them as partners and USA Health as a resource in our community.
- I met with Brad Pitts, the chief executive of Synergy Labs, to get an update on their progress producing test kits that we hope to use at our testing sites in Mobile.
- I hosted a conference call with leaders from the Mobile Chamber, the Mobile Airport Authority, the Mobile Housing Authority, Downtown Alliance, Coastal Alabama Partnership, Alabama Power and the Mobile County Public School System, along with elected officials from city, county and state government. We are doing our best to keep them apprised of all we do.
- I conducted a news conference to update the media, answering any and all questions. We appreciate the important role they play in informing the public.
Tomorrow, I will attend the pre-meeting and regular meeting of Mobile City Council. I will meet with area pastors to talk about ways the faith community can support our efforts, and I will meet with mayors from across Mobile County to identify ways we can help each other.
I am grateful to those of you who have responded with prayers and words of support - they are appreciated.
The best thing that you can do to help is to follow the recommended CDC guidelines, including washing your hands regularly, practicing social distancing and staying home if you are sick.
If we all follow these steps, we will save lives.
Thank you for allowing me to share this update with you. As always, I am grateful to be your mayor. Working together, we will make it through this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Mayor Sandy Stimpson