As infections continue to rise within minority communities across Florida, the governor is calling on local pastors to encourage church members to roll up their sleeves.
As infections continue to rise within minority communities across Florida, the governor is calling on local pastors to encourage church members to roll up their sleeves.
“You know people are hurting, people are broken, and people are struggling,” said Sharon Brown, pastor of Full Gospel Tabernacle of Deliverance on Delaware Avenue. “So many people that you have known and loved for years have just passed away.”
As infections continue to rise within minority communities across #Florida, the governor is calling on local pastors to encourage church members to roll up their sleeves. @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/yaCL47Gx5S
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Brown, who was called to lead congregations through tough times, is answering the call of the governor to help slow COVID-19. She’s been spreading the word about the vaccine in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus.
According to the CDC, African Americans are dying from coronavirus complications three times more than white people. So to slow the infection rate among this at-risk population, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that Florida has initiated a pilot program to vaccinate minority and underserved populations by working with churches.
“Yes, yes, and yes because if we can be apart of the solution for this COVID19 pollution, we want to be apart of it,” pastor Kwame Austin said.
Austin is the pastor at one of the oldest black churches in town: Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church.
“I will take the vaccine. If I got to do like President-elect Biden and roll up my sleeve and take it on camera, to show that I trust,” he said.
Pastor Austin said for some people of color, trusting the vaccine is a huge hurdle.
“You can trust God, but you can also use common sense,” said James Edwards, an elder of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church. “So at this point, you need to trust science.”
Edwards, 77, has been a member since 1964.
“You need to do whatever you can cause I sure don’t want that virus,” he said.
In St. Lucie County, that virus refuses to slow down. As of Tuesday, the positivity rate is at 15.3 percent, well above the state’s 10 percent target range.
So now hundreds of minority people 65 and older in this area will be recruited, with the help of local pastors, to get preapproved for vaccines in the coming days.
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