County Executive Sam Page and Mayor Lyda Krewson,

We, the residents of St. Louis City and St. Louis County, demand that the decision to re-open on May 18th be reversed. Your decision was based on “political pressure,” not public health (1). Returning to “business as usual” will put millions at risk, overwhelm our hospital systems, and kill thousands of our family, friends, and neighbors. Public health and infectious disease experts agree that the only way to open businesses while keeping people safe is to have adequate, on-demand covid-19 testing, enough PPE for all residents, contact tracing, and adequate protections at all workplaces (2). If we reopen on May 18th, these protections will not be adequately in place for all.

Re-opening the economy will hurt workers who are forced to choose between risking their lives to keep a job, and losing their unemployment insurance. It will hurt seniors and those with compromised immune systems, who will need to risk their health to get food and medication. It will hurt essential workers, who will be put at even higher risk of exposure. It will hurt families, who will be put at risk if schools and childcare centers re-open without protections. Therefore, we demand that the city and county not open on May 18th, and that the economy remain closed until:

1) Places of business and healthcare are safe for all
     a) On-demand testing
     b) Adequate PPE
     c) Workplace precautions
2) There is adequate support for workers
     a) Hazard pay for all workers
     b) Paid family and sick leave
     c) No retaliation for exercising labor rights
3) There is adequate protection for everyone in our community
     a) Delivery of necessities for seniors, the immunocompromised, and the sick
     b) Close the Workhouse
     c) Readily available PPE
     d) No cost for testing and treatment
     e) Targeted resource provision to marginalized communities

In this time of human crisis, true leadership calls for a focus on saving lives and not sustaining wealth. Even more, the health of the entire region depends on how those who are most vulnerable experience COVID19. Lyda Krewson and Sam Page, your choices reflect your priorities and we will remember the way you have valued our lives and our families in these trying times.

#HealthB4Wealth #NotDying4Lyda #NotDying4Page

Signed,


(1) http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/city-county-to-lift-public-health-orders-on-may-18/article_44de03e0-8fd7-11ea-bf34-c7ff160ddab3.html
(2) https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP07/20200506/110747/HHRG-116-AP07-Wstate-RiversC-20200506.pdf