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Weeks before TN enacted a "safer-at-home" order, Teresa Dabney, who runs the black lung clinic at @chetn4you in the Clearfork Valley, was taking precautions to protect miners from #covid19. https://southerlymag.org/2020/04/23/these-coal-communities-are-protecting-sick-miners-from-covid-19-and-pushing-congress-for-more-support/
This historic coal mining region faces food insecurity, unreliable broadband, lack of transportation, a need for responsive and well-resourced health care. Like they have for decades, community members are figuring out ways to protect and help each other. https://southerlymag.org/2020/04/23/these-coal-communities-are-protecting-sick-miners-from-covid-19-and-pushing-congress-for-more-support/
“In a situation like this I think it increases people’s anxiety to realize I’ll have to travel an hour or an hour and a half if I’m sick with something that can cause problems as quickly as COVID-19,” said Daniel Yoder, a physician at community health center Dayspring Health.
That's especially true for many miners w/ black lung. But amid this pandemic, coal companies are trying to wriggle out of their responsibilities to provide medical benefits by cutting taxes for operators to save them $220 million. https://southerlymag.org/2020/04/23/these-coal-communities-are-protecting-sick-miners-from-covid-19-and-pushing-congress-for-more-support/
Yesterday, National Black Lung Association, and associations in WV, VA, KY, sent Congress a letter asking to maintain tax rate that finances Black Lung Trust Fund, develop emergency standards to protect working miners from COVID-19, & support communities. http://appvoices.org/resources/BLA_letter_congress_april2020.pdf
Meanwhile, Courtney Rhoades, black lung organizer @AppCitizensLaw, is helping clients/other EKY folks. "If there is a major outbreak, particularly among those who have compromised lungs already, then we would worry about an overload of individuals onto these hospital systems.”
There's a broad mutual aid effort across Appalachia to help support folks — especially those with black lung disease and others at a high-risk of COVID-19. @AustynGaffney talked to doctors, a former miner, & organizers about it. Read it here: https://southerlymag.org/2020/04/23/these-coal-communities-are-protecting-sick-miners-from-covid-19-and-pushing-congress-for-more-support/
