A Message from Mayor Stimpson May 18, 2020
May 18th, 2020
Good evening,
It is 9:15 p.m. Monday, May 18, and I am writing to give you an update on the City of Mobile's efforts regarding COVID-19.
As of tonight, there are 1,735 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, out of 15,813 total tests. There are 101 deaths attributed to the virus.
We have made significant progress in the availability of testing for our citizens. In fact, 7,710 have been tested in Mobile County in the past 14 days - nearly half of our total to date. While testing alone does not keep you from getting sick, it does help us identify and prevent the spread of this invisible threat.
We track the health data because we must stay vigilant as long as COVID-19 remains in our community. It is also important that we keep track of the economic data, because there is a close connection between employment and public health. So, tonight I want to include a snapshot of the impact that COVID-19 is having on our economy.
There were 25,929 initial Unemployment Insurance Claims filed in Alabama in the week of May 9, 2020, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents a 10.5 percent decline from the previous week, and a 978.6 percent increase from the same week a year ago.
The numbers confirm that COVID-19 has caused an unparalleled economic slowdown and record numbers of layoffs nationwide. This affects all of us but it is having a devastating impact on small businesses and working class families.
If there is a bright spot, it is encouraging to see that the number of people filing for unemployment dropped slightly last week. We hope that trend will continue as more businesses return to work.
We are continuing to work with our restaurants, retailers and other close contact businesses to help them make a safe transition to re-opening. This is a crucial time because the virus is still active within our community and can spread rapidly.
As always, our first priority is on keeping you and your loved ones safe from harm. Our partners in that effort include our local hospitals, non-profit organizations, the Mobile County Health Department and the Mobile County Commission.
I can assure you that we are working together like never before on our shared mission to protect public health. Later this week, we will meet with our partners for an in-depth discussion of how we can make better use of data to inform our decisions going forward.
At the City, we also have a responsibility to help businesses recover from this downturn and to help Mobile workers receive a paycheck again. It is a tremendous challenge but we are fully committed to assisting Mobile families who are hurting at this time.
We have overcome adversity many times in our history. One thing we've learned through the tough times is that we are stronger when we are united - never more so than when we extend a hand to our most vulnerable citizens.
God calls us to love one another and to help one another. When we work together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ's example. That is the vision of One Mobile, and that is the way we will emerge from this crisis stronger as a community.
Tonight I hope this letter finds you in peace and good health. Please remember those who are suffering from this virus, and do what you can to take care of yourself, your family, your friends and your neighbors.
Sincerely,
Mayor Sandy Stimpson