- Title: Taking the fight against COVID-19 door-to-door in Florida
- Date: 24th July 2021
- Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA UNITED STATES (JULY 23, 2021) (REUTERS) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER RICKY CARTER WALKING ON SIDEWALK AS PART OF "NOT MY SON" CAMPAIGN TO STEM VIOLENCE AND ENCOURAGE VACCINES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER RICKY CARTER, SPEAKING TO RESIDENT AT DOOR, SAYING: "They have all kind of information over there. We just want to get the word out to speak to people and let everybody know. You can tell Mom if you like. Here's a card. Here's some information. Like I said, we want to talk to the parents, keep track of the kids, look out for the children because these are crazy times right now. I know you know, being a teenager or whatever, so I know you know. If you have any questions or concerns, we've got free food over there If you want to come over there and learn about vaccines, or voting just step over to the church, talk to somebody about it. (YOUNG MAN SAYS I MIGHT COME) Group 3 if you come, Group 3." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER, RICKY CARTER, SAYING: "This ongoing violence in the city as it is, it has been a crazy year, 2021 has been a crazy year. So, just letting the community know that there are people out there that care, and want to work to make a better tomorrow and a better community as a whole."
- Embargoed: 7th August 2021 19:08
- Keywords: COVID-19 Florida Not My Son St. Petersburg Police door-to-door outreach vaccines
- Location: ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- City: ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001EN79LJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The battle against COVID-19 is going door-to-door in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the Bethel AME Church has partnered with the St. Petersburg Police Department to encourage the community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and promote efforts to stop gun violence.
At front doors every week, the "Not My Son" campaign in is not only sending a message about gun violence, but is encouraging people to get vaccinated.
"It's not just about crime, but its about public safety, and so we have merged our 'Not my Son' campaign in partnership with the Health Department to also offer vaccinations to people in the community," Rev. Kenneth Irby, Director of Community Intervention and Juvenile Outreach for the St. Petersburg Police Department, said. "We can't have that conversation without them being alive."
The campaign comes as the seven-day average of new cases in the United States is up 53 percent over the previous week, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said on Thursday. The Delta variant, which was first found in India, now comprises more than 80% of new cases nationwide and has been detected in more than 90 countries.
Florida is now recording more COVID-19 cases than any other U.S. state, as hospitalizations in some areas increase at the fastest rate since the start of the pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported, with the state accounting for one in five new infections in the U.S.
(Video: Octavio Jones, Production: Deborah Lutterbeck) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None