I want the people of Gadsden to know that we are working hard to ensure the continuity of essential services and respond to the many needs created by this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. We still do not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Etowah County, but we are still following all public health orders and guidelines to protect those most at risk in Gadsden. I am communicating with all of the department’s agencies in our City so that we can be sure that important services are delivered while keeping the public and our staff safe. Departments like Police, Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, Garbage Collection, and more are hard at work, despite limited public access to city facilities.

I want to thank everyone in our community for their cooperation and teamwork in the face of this unique challenge. I want to thank members of the health care community who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. I also want to recognize and thank our business community. In the face of public health orders and restrictions, they have been incredibly flexible and innovative to adapt to meet the public’s needs. We need the public to continue to support them, especially the small businesses in our community who make our City so vibrant. I want to thank our City staff in all departments who continue to work to keep our city running and providing services for the public, online, over the phone, or in-person with protective equipment.

Last, I want to thank all the citizens of Gadsden who are respecting the public health orders and guidelines, maintaining social distancing and staying home all to help protect the lives of those most at risk for COVID-19. I call on those who are not complying with these orders to do their civic duty and to join the fight against this invisible threat. We can not let up and must exercise continued due diligence for the common good.

Our response to this unprecedented crisis is following science-based, fact-based recommendations in close coordination with Federal, State, and Local Public Health subject matter experts. We will continue to work together in unity and we will win this battle against COVID-19.

-Mayor Sherman Guyton