‘You don’t want to be known as the COVID-19 church’
@stlouisamerican
@stlouisamerican
See page A10
St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited MAR. 26 – APR. 1, 2020
92 years serving, empowering and advocating equity in St. Louis
Vol. 92 No. 1 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Nurse is first COVID-19 death in region SSM Health: ‘She (Judy Wilson-Griffin) was a hero in the truest sense’ By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Judy Wilson-Griffin, an AfricanAmerican nurse who worked at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, was the first person in the St. Louis region to succumb to COVID19. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page had identified her only as a St. Louis County woman when he announced her death on Friday, March 20, the day she died. She was
the first coronavirus-related death in the county and the region. Page said she had multiple health complications prior to contracting the virus. She was tested earlier that week and diagnosed 48 hours later. SSM Health told The American that “Judy had not been sick for several weeks,” as some other media reported. “She has been out on personal time.” Judy WilsonGriffin
n “Judy was an incredible nurse, educator, leader and person. Her passion and dedication was second to none. She was a hero in the truest sense.” – SSM Health
‘This is serious’ Jazmond ‘Jazz’ Dixon dies from COVID-19 at age 31 First pandemic death in City of St. Louis By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Jazmond “Jazz” Dixon passed away Sunday, March 22 at age 31 due to COVID19, the first novel coronavirus-related death in the City of St. Louis. Speaking as a representative of the family, Dixon’s cousin Belafae Johnson Jr. told The St. Louis American that she came from a large family with many aunts, uncles and cousins, who are all devastated. Dixon and her mother were “best friends.” “We need to use Jazmond to really make an imprint in our hearts of the seriousness of this,” Johnson said. “Our health officials are laboring over what to do and what’s possible to help stop the Jazmond spread. Our family is ‘Jazz’ Dixon advocating for people to humble themselves and make decisions for the greater good. We don’t live on a large planet. A few weeks ago, we were hearing about this happen in China, and now this is on our doorstep. This is serious.” On Tuesday, March 17, Dixon started feeling like she had the flu and was having trouble breathing, so she went to an urgent care clinic, Johnson said. The doctors there felt she needed more care, so she was admitted into a local hospital emergency room the
See NURSE, A6
See DIXON, A7
Photo by Wiley Price
Cycling through the pandemic Wesley Faulkner worked out in Forest Park on Wednesday, March 25, when the St. Louis region was under Stay at Home orders to stop the spread of COVID-19. The St. Louis resident, who has been cycling for more than 45 years, said he had to get out just to stay relaxed given the pressures of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The St. Louis American adapts its business model to COVID-19
Riverview, Normandy have to-go student meals
American staff
Public schools closed through April 22 to stop COVID-19 American staff With St. Louis city and county public schools now remaining closed at least through Wednesday, April 22 to halt the spread of COVID-19, districts continue to make arrangements to feed students. The Riverview Gardens School District is offering to-go student meals to families on a first-come first-served basis until further notice. Students must be present to receive meals. No student ID is required. Each bag contains two meals. One bag per student will See MEALS, A7
Changes forced on us by the pandemic
Photo by Wiley Price
Riverview Gardens School District faculty and staff handed out free food and books to students and their families on Tuesday, March 24 at Highland Elementary School. The district will continue this practice until school resumes at a later date.
In this, our first edition since local public officials issued Stay at Home orders to halt the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to discuss changes in our business model forced by the pandemic and the paralysis of the economy caused by the absolute necessity of social distancing. If you are reading a print edition of our newspaper, you will notice that it is a slimmer newspaper than what you have come to expect. It has fewer pages, shorter sections, and missing features. All of these changes were forced by the dramatic situation in which we all find ourselves. Many local publications suspended their print operations as advertisers began to withdraw for the understandable reason that they are forced to cancel or postpone the events and programs that they had planned to adverSee AMERICAN, A6