FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: APHA Media Relations, 202-777-3913
Statement from APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD
The sorrow we feel about the more than 100,000 lives lost from COVID-19 in the U.S. strengthens our resolve to slow the spread of this devastating disease.
This grim milestone was reached today, just months after the first U.S. coronavirus case was confirmed. Each day, we persevere in our fight to end this pervasive threat to our nation’s health and well-being.
This is one of the most significant battles of our lifetimes. And with it come opposing views, missteps, and clashes of ideas and sentiment.
Through it all, we remain steadfast in our public health mission to eradicate this disease. We continue to diligently pursue increased testing, surveillance and contact tracing — as well as much-needed support for our public health workforce and system.
We look forward to the time we turn the tide on this terrible outbreak, and again be encouraged by the hopeful promise public health brings to our nation.
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APHA champions the health of all people and all communities. We strengthen the public health profession. We speak out for public health issues and policies backed by science. We are the only organization that combines a nearly 150-year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Visit us at www.apha.org.