Every day, health care workers here in Mississippi and across the country are putting their lives on the line in order to care for others.

Nurses, doctors, hospital workers, pharmacists, and others are our first line of defense against COVID-19, and are potentially sacrificing their own health in order to fight it. And here in Mississippi, where the number of sick Americans grows by the day, the virus continues to expose inequalities in our broken health care system.

While we can all agree these health care workers are heroes, the truth is they shouldn’t have to be put in dangerous situations in order to do their jobs. It’s on us and our leaders in Washington to keep health care workers safe, and we can do so by providing them:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) like N95 respirator masks, face shields, and basic masks, which many facilities across the country are running dangerously low on
• Emergency child care so health care workers can do their jobs knowing that their kids are safe, especially while our schools continue to stay closed
• Paid sick leave, because health care workers cannot afford to lose pay when they need to stay home because they're sick

If you agree it’s critical we provide these protections for nurses, doctors, and other health care workers, will you add your name alongside mine now?

Now is the time to stand in solidarity with the workers who are working to save lives in the midst of this pandemic. And if you want to make even more of an impact, forward this petition to three friends who support our health care workers, too.

— Mike Espy