The Kent County Health Department is taking to the airwaves with a serious message about COVID. With the hope and goal to stem the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the Health Department is now partnering with area hospitals in a multi-media ad campaign.
“Gonna miss you all this Thanksgiving, but it’s ok, we’re all staying safe.. Happy Thanksgiving!!…”
That is an excerpt from the new ad campaign led by the Kent County Health Department. It’s a comprehensive campaign with the goal to convince area residents not to gather for the holidays. The multi-media “I love You so” campaign will run on local TV and radio stations, cable networks, print and digital platforms, including local minority owned outlets, through the end of the year.
Kent County is seeing more than 500 news coronavirus cases each day. A ten-fold increase over the last eight weeks. Local positivity rates are running between 10 and 19%, the highest they’ve been since the start of the pandemic… putting a significant strain on local hospitals, frontline healthcare providers and public health investigators, along with contact tracers.
Kent County Health Department Director, Dr. Adam London says, quote, “This is a ‘tough love’ message for our community. We all want to get together to celebrate with family and friends but those gatherings are the perfect place for the virus to spread.”
He goes on to say, “We are asking everyone to make their own health and the health of their loved ones their top priorities this holiday season.”
Spectrum Health, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and Metro Health have been sounding the alarm to the community and heave signed on as partners in the campaign which is funded with CARES ACT dollars. The 250-thousand-dollar campaign launches before the December holidays and runs through the end of the year. They say it’s a simple message: “I love you so much that I’m willing to miss our holiday gathering to keep us all safe.”
