A Message from Mayor Stimpson - June 2
Jun 2nd, 2020
Good evening,
It is 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 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 2,283 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, out of 28,214 total tests.
Looking inside the numbers, there are some encouraging trends. There were 29 patients with active COVID-19 as of Monday, down from 30 on Sunday, 38 on Saturday and 42 going back to Friday.
There are 118 deaths attributed to the virus, with just six deaths in the most recent week recorded by the Mobile County Health Department. That's the fewest for any week since March.
Seeing a reduction in cases, deaths, and hospitalizations is encouraging for our community, and we hope this trend will continue.
Statewide, no one younger than 24 has died from coronavirus and less than 4% of deaths were among those younger than 49, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Ninety-five percent of all COVID deaths in the state were people with underlying conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or renal disease.
These statistics are a sober reminder that the threat of COVID-19 is very real, particularly for our most vulnerable citizens. Please continue to keep a safe difference of at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands regularly and wear a mask when in public places.
While we continue the fight against COVID-19, we also are focusing significant time and energy on the protest activity that has followed the senseless death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
So far, we can be proud of the way that the citizens of Mobile have conducted themselves as part of these peaceful protests. We can also be proud of the professionalism shown by the Mobile Police Department as they work to provide a safe platform for citizens to express their voices in the wake of this tragedy.
Today, the Mobile Police arrested a suspect for throwing a baseball bat and damaging a police vehicle during Sunday's protests in Mobile. This is a reminder that the City respects and supports the right of citizens to peaceful assembly. However, we will not allow the willful destruction of property or harm to others.
We are listening closely to our citizens and looking for opportunities to collaborate with the community to root out injustices within our current system. As we move forward, we are starting with our departments at City Hall and reviewing any policies that would inflect bias.
We will work outwardly to set up listening sessions and small group meetings to gather feedback for the community.This is just the beginning of a long road to equitable justice in the City of Mobile, and we are committed to the journey.
A few more updates from today:
- The first Airbus A220 aircraft produced at the Mobile manufacturing facility has flown for the first time. The A220-300, destined for Delta Air Lines, took off from Brookley Field this morning, performed its test sequences and landed safely at 1:44 p.m.
- The Port of Mobile announced the opening of a new distribution center for BendPak, a company that makes commercial automotive lifts. The 100,000-square foot facility has hired 15 employees so far with plans to grow in the months ahead.
- I had the opportunity to meet John Driscoll, the newly-hired executive director of the Alabama State Port Authority. John, who started in his new job this week, has big shoes to fill in following Jimmy Lyons, who has served the Port for the past 20 years. Jimmy has laid the foundation for tremendous growth in the years ahead, and we are excited to welcome John to Mobile.
I have received many words of encouragement during these past few days, and I am encouraged to hear that so many are praying for Mobile.
I believe that prayer is our lifeline to God and the bridge between what is and what will be. There have been tumultuous times in our nation before. If you've never prayed for Mobile, now is the time to do so. If we don't, who will?