James R. Downing, president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, writing at The Daily Memphian:
With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, life across the country and around the world transformed nearly overnight. At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, we moved quickly to protect the health and safety of our employees, families, and the most vulnerable members of our community – our patients.
During the past four months, we have created one of the safest harbors against COVID-19 in the nation. Protection measures include a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 testing program for employees, patients and families; campus zoning; reduced personnel and visitor access; and heightened infection-control procedures. We need your help to ensure that this haven remains as secure as possible.
My request is simple: Please wear a mask whenever you are in public. In doing so, you can help save children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases.
You may think that wearing a mask is about keeping yourself, and to a degree it is, but it’s also to protect those you may come into contact with in public.
It’s pathetic that mask wearing became political, but we live in a pretty messed up time here in the United States. If you think putting a mask one is somehow infringing on your personal freedoms, shame on you. Our current circumstances require us all to make sacrifices for the good of everyone, and this is a pretty small ask.