MY NAME IS MARK WILSON.
I’M THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY.
OVER THE PAST WEEK, WE’VE ISSUED RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE’VE ALSO ISSUED OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER.
IN THE STATE HEALTH OFFICER HAS ISSUED SIMILAR ORDERS.
WHAT?
AS CASES HAVE CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
WE MUST TAKE ADDITIONAL BOLD ACTION TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVET 19.
I’M NOW ISSUING A NEW ORDER WHICH REPLACES MY PREVIOUS ONE.
THIS ORDER IS BEING PLACED ON THE JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
FACEBOOK PAGE AND IT WILL BE CIRCULATED BROADLY FOR EVERYONE TO SEE ALL THE DETAILS.
SO I’M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE DETAILS RIGHT NOW.
TELL YOU THE PURPOSE OF THIS NEW ORDER AND THE EMPHASIS THAT WERE PLACING THINGS ON.
WE ARE SEEKING TO ELIMINATE ALL NON-ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND SURFACE SERVICES, WHICH PUT PEOPLE AT INCREASED RISK.
OF SPREADING DISEASE WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THOSE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTH FOR SAFETY AND FOR SUSTENANCE OF LIFE AND WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ORDERS ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF PROTECTING
THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS ARE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS SO AS THE COVE AT NIGHT TEEN PANDEMIC CONTINUES.
WE’RE SEEING INCREASED NUMBERS OF DEATH AROUND THE GLOBE.
WE KNOW THAT COVERED 19 IS DEADLY TO A LARGE PORTION OF THE POPULATION.
AND I KNOW THAT EACH DAY.
AND EACH ACTION EITHER RESULTS IN LIVES LIVES LOST OR LIVES SAVED AND TODAY I’M TAKING ANOTHER STEP TO PROTECT AND DEFEND.
THE LIVES OF EVERY PERSON IN JEFFERSON COUNTY THESE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS ARE MEANT TO SAVE LIVES BY LIMITING THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
BUT WHAT I’M DOING TODAY IS ONLY PART OF THE SOLUTION.
TODAY AS I STAND BEFORE YOU I ASK THAT YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM YOU COME IN CONTACT.
THINK OF YOUR MOTHER YOUR FATHER YOUR GRANDMOTHER.
YOUR GRANDFATHER YOUR AUNT YOUR UNCLE.
YOUR DAUGHTER YOUR SON.
AND EVERYONE ELSE YOU MEET EACH DAY.
FURTHERMORE PEOPLE YOU MEET EACH DAY AND COME INTO CONTACT.
WITH WE’LL ALSO CONTACT SO MANY MORE PEOPLE.
AND IN THAT CHAIN OF INTERACTIONS YOU WILL TOUCH THE LIFE OF SOMEONE WHO IS MORE VULNERABLE.
A COVERT 19 JEFFERSON COUNTY STATE OF ALABAMA AND THE UNITED STATES AS A WHOLE HAS NOT BEEN CALLED UPON TO WRESTLE WITH A PROBLEM OF THIS MAGNITUDE SINCE WORLD WAR TWO.
IN THAT DANGEROUS AND UNCERTAIN TIME THE GREATEST GENERATION BANDED TOGETHER TO WORK TOWARD A COMMON GOAL.
AND THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT WE MUST DO NOW.
OUR ENEMY IS ONE THAT WE CANNOT SEE WITH OUR NAKED EYES, BUT WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THE DEVASTATION THAT THIS VIRUS HAS LEFT IN ITS WAKE AROUND THE WORLD.
NOW IS THE TIME TO DO OUR PART.
TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO OVERCOME THIS THREAT.
FINALLY I WANT TO LEAVE YOU ALL WITH A WORD ABOUT WHERE MY HEART IS ON THIS MATTER.
MY HEART BREAKS FOR THE PEOPLE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY AND FOR THE PEOPLE ACROSS, ALABAMA.
UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT I’M ASKING FOR IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SACRIFICES WE’VE EVER HAD TO MAKE AS A COMMUNITY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ORDERS IMPACT PEOPLE’S LIVES AND UNTOLD WAYS.
AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT SOME SUFFERING NOW WILL PREVENT UNTOLD PAIN AND SUFFERING IN THE MONTHS TO COME.
IF WE DO