In an effort to combat COVID-19, aside from mandating “social distancing,” governors and health departments across America, including here in Kentucky, have issued directives requiring all medical and dental offices to cancel elective health care services, procedures, and surgeries that are not anticipated to cause harm to the patient within the next three months, in order to preserve needed medical supplies for those who are fighting the virus.
Unfortunately, in many states, including Kentucky, abortion clinics appear to be ignoring this mandate to halt elective procedures. Some governors went so far as to explicitly exempt abortion clinics from the mandates, allowing them to operate as if there is essentially no public health threat at all.
When the EMW abortion clinic was called this morning, they assured that the clinic planned to remain open despite Governor Beshear’s previous recommendation and today’s planned mandate that all elective medical procedures cease.
At the time of this writing, there are over 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky; those have resulted in 3 deaths. I’ll say it bluntly – regardless of your opinion towards abortion, we should all agree that COVID-19 is a far greater threat to human health than a closed abortion clinic.
In fact, based on last year’s abortion averages, we can assume that Kentucky’s abortion clinic has terminated at least 138 lives during the last two weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, while only 3 Kentuckians have died from COVID-19.
On top of that, all the surgical abortions are being done by two University of Louisville School of Medicine professors. The school is online-only now because of COVID-19, yet those professors still mingle with patients and those who accompany them in the small waiting room of the abortion clinic.
Banning elective procedures and forcing closure of church meetings during a time of national emergency are tough decisions. But if they’re going to be enacted, they should be enacted in all circumstances – not just ones that suit a political agenda.
In the meantime, please continue to do everything you can to keep your families healthy and safe.
Other items of note:
- The U.S. Senate has introduced a bill that would provide checks to middle-and-working-class Americans as a way to stimulate the economy and meet immediate needs. President Trump has said that he supports the idea, and leaders in Congress have as well. Checks would be issued to Americans who made less than $99,000 in 2018, or less than $198,000 for couples who filed jointly.
- The U.S. Treasury has delayed the day income tax must be filed from April 15 to July 15.
- The FDA is testing anti-malaria medication Chloroquine to see if it will indeed treat symptoms of COVID-19. The medication’s maker, Bayer, has agreed to donate a significant sum of the medication to the U.S. government.
We encourage you to see the temporary inconveniences of closed schools, stores, restaurants, and entertainment centers as an opportunity rather than a headache. Parents spending more time with their children is a great thing – no matter how it comes about. It may take some time, but our economy will recover. Our public assistance programs may be stretched, but I have faith that Kentuckians will rise up to meet needs and take care of each other – as they always have.
This, too, shall pass. Continue to join us in prayer for the health of our nation and please continue to observe smart practices regarding personal hygiene and “social distancing.”
Enjoy the time you have together with your families during this unprecedented time.
