Covid and Water…. Let’s Talk About It!
Hello Beloved community, Nicole here with another update to keep you abreast of the state of affairs in our community, with our people. For some reason, the state has stopped posting Covid positive cases for Sundays and instead combining them with Mondays in their report. So for Saturday, the numbers are as follows, 6,225 new cases and 65 additional deaths, up from Friday‘s 3,763 new cases and 42 deaths.
The number continues to increase, yet the city of Detroit, nor the state of Michigan have made provisions to protect one of our most vital first defenses for many residents, access to clean, affordable, running water. The state Supreme court voted to overturn Governor Whitmer’s executive order, which was offering some protection with the moratorium on shut-offs, but now many residents in Detroit and surrounding fringe cities will be facing shutoffs again. That will be occurring in the midst of this pandemic, with many unemployed, underemployed, or still awaiting benefits as many face fraudulent benefit cases filed due to identity fraud.
So what will become of those of us that fall into those categories? Shall we just set back open and without defenses and await the virus to sweep in and overtake us, simply because we cannot afford the continually rising rates for a basic human right? Or shall we show our elected officials that the enemy is poverty, not the poor!
Contact us at http://www.peopleswaterboard.org and subscribe to this blog. Until next time, keep your head above water!
Nicole Hill is a directly impacted resident of Detroit, a member of the People’s Water Board and Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, and a Tri-chair for the Poor People’s Campaign. She is a mother of 7 and is devoted to combating poverty on all levels through her work in water affordability and social change.
