Faith group urges governor to be leader in fight against coronavirus, expand Medicaid

Open Letter to the Honorable Kay Ivey

Governor of Alabama

Dear Governor Ivey,

There are few times in human history that a global crisis calls us to extraordinary measures.

As people of faith, we operate in God’s time, and our scriptures give us long memories. We tell stories of Joseph, of Ruth and Naomi, of Noah and Jeremiah—all faith heroes who weathered earth-shaking events. We clergy share a history of personal and social holiness in the midst of great social upheaval.

We are in one of those events, in which our faith calls us to rise to the occasion. As people of the promise, we do not believe in an ethics of “every man for himself,” but of love and justice for the “least of these.”

According to the Alabama Department of Health as of April 8, Alabama had 2,241 cases of coronavirus, and due to the coronavirus 48 confirmed deaths.[i] Moreover, doctors say the coronavirus deaths in Alabama may be undercounted. Our public health experts tell us that the virus is highly contagious and is likely to reach all our communities. Alabama is especially vulnerable to the pandemic because we have a high population of senior citizens (21.5%) and the third highest share in the country of adults under 60 at risk of coronavirus complications.[ii]

We are deeply concerned that, as we have seen in other places, Alabama’s hospitals will be overwhelmed by a surge of people needing treatment, that we will not have enough ICU beds and ventilators to treat those who become severely ill nor enough masks and other supplies to protect our doctors and nurses. Entering this crisis, the state had 5,282 available hospital beds, and 633 available ICU beds. That is not nearly enough to meet the surge in patients expected. Depending on how fast we move as a state to slow the spread of the virus we could face a shortage of between 1,026 to 5,608 ICU beds according to recent national projections.[iii]

Given the call of our faith and the grave public health crisis we face, we ask you to rise to this occasion by doing the following:

1) Truth-telling: Along with our state public health officials, do not waiver in communicating the true threat posed by this virus and the need for everyone, young and old to do their part to slow it’s spread, and as you do this to publicly highlight the importance of equity in how Alabama is responding, and to commit to prioritize the most vulnerable people and communities, across geographic, income, and race lines.

2) Testing: Provide funding (including Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funds) for rural and urban safety-net hospitals and community health centers to create neighborhood-based testing sites and door-to-door testing teams in vulnerable neighborhoods.

3) Treating: Provide resources and support to local health departments to create more treatment beds, with priority on getting supplies, personal protective equipment, training, and additional staff to rural and urban safety-net hospitals and community health centers. Also, develop contingency planning for outbreaks at jails, prisons, and detention centers, including releasing from jail and prison inmates who are not a risk to the community, with funding to help facilitate their reentry process.

4) Supporting: Provide universal family leave, prosecute those who are price gouging, and declare a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures, utility shut-offs, and cable/internet shut offs to ensure people have access to life-saving information. Expand unemployment compensation, taking advantage of the additional flexibility provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. Take this moment to revisit the urgent need and opportunity to expand Alabama’s Medicaid programs.

Crises such as the one we face together reveal the cracks in our spiritual edifice. We Alabamians trust God but know how God never tests without also providing a way for us to succeed. Because we have such high poverty and a history of injustice, it is clearer than ever that we must make sure our solutions help everybody, including the most vulnerable. This is not a situation where we can afford to just test a few, or just treat a handful. It only takes one person, sick and desperate for food, shelter, and employment, to undo our work together. We either stand united, or we fall separately.

We invite you to join us and other faith leaders for a virtual conversation in the coming weeks to discuss these asks.

May God bless you and the state of Alabama as we face these uncertain times together.

Blessings,

Rev. Jeremiah Chester,

Pastor, St. Mark Baptist Church, Huntsville

Rev. David Frazier, Sr.

Pastor, Revelation Missionary Baptist Church, Mobile

Moderator, Mobile Baptist Sunlight District Association

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton

Presiding Prelate, Fifth Episcopal District (serving the states of Alabama and Florida) of The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME)

Bishop Seth O. Lartey

Presiding Prelate, Alabama-Florida District of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion)

Bishop Harry L. Seawright

Presiding Prelate, Ninth Episcopal District of The African Methodist Episcopal

Church (AME)

Dr. A.B. Sutton, Jr.

Pastor, Living Stones Temple, Fultondale

Rev. Manuel Williams, C.R.

Pastor, Resurrection Catholic Church/Missions, Montgomery

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