We at CREDO Mobile have been reeling from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), like everyone else in the country and world. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this dangerous and deadly virus.

We are also dismayed that some of our leaders have not taken the very real threats of this pandemic seriously. They are spreading disinformation, causing confusion and ignoring the warnings by public health officials to take precautions to protect themselves, their families and their communities.

Scientists and leaders in the public health community stress the importance of "social distancing" to minimize the spread of this virus, especially to protect at-risk people, like seniors and those with pre-existing health conditions. But we also know that many people — like low wage and hourly workers, those whose employers are not providing paid time off, and people experiencing homelessness — do not have the freedom to limit their interactions or distance from others, which puts these people at extremely high risk, too. That's why for those of us who have the privilege to practice social distancing, we must immediately limit our interactions to protect our most vulnerable communities.

We're asking you today to sign our pledge and commit to minimizing your public interactions now. Then, we urge you to share this pledge with your family and friends to spread the word to help protect our nation's most vulnerable.

We are social distancing — and, if you have the means to, we urge you to join us.