DALLAS, TX – I want to protect my mom, my spouse, my school-aged kids, and my co-workers, who love their family members as much as I do. So, when I had the chance to get the COVID-19 vaccine, I took it right away.
Why did I get the COVID-19 vaccine? Because more than 50,000 Texans, including 3,925 Dallas County residents, have died of COVID-19. Some were city of Dallas employees. I want to live, and I want the city’s 13,000 essential workers to do the same.
Unlike the private sector, city services have remained open 24/7 throughout the pandemic, and many members of our city of Dallas family do not have the ability to do their jobs from home. The coronavirus significantly hampered operations for our essential workers providing sanitation, water treatment and public safety, among others.
Among the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue, more than 1,200 employees had COVID-19, with lasting health and financial consequences. To protect the health and safety of these and others working tirelessly to provide essential services each and every day, I urge all who spend time with family, friends or co-workers in Dallas to get vaccinated against COVID-19 today.
Nobody should have to choose between health and finances.
As our economy begins to reopen, some employers have cited challenges filling vacancies. But people with family caregiving responsibilities or high-risk members of their household cannot take jobs that require working in close contact with others indoors, or they cannot risk working with co-workers or clients who might not be vaccinated.
So that everyone may quickly get back to the people and activities we love, get vaccinated. It’s free, safe, easy — and the best investment to make for our health and strength as One Dallas.
