This is one in a series of Voices pieces by Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. We’re calling it the Mayor’s Minute. Want to share your voice? Anyone can contribute to NOOGAtoday here.

We are in the middle of the holiday season, we just finished celebrating Hanukkah in my household, and I know many families are preparing to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa in the coming days.

While we certainly need something to celebrate after an incredibly difficult year, we cannot let our guard down and put our loved ones at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

The state of Tennessee continues to shatter previous case and hospitalization records, with more than XX,XXX new cases last week and multiple days topping 11,000 new daily cases.

Without additional measures like a statewide mask mandate and gathering restrictions, which medical experts and the White House Coronavirus Task Force has recommended our state implement, these numbers will continue to increase into early next year. As one Vanderbilt University research professor and epidemiologist said, “With cases and the positivity rate where they are, it's clear the house is on fire and we're still lighting matches."

Things are bad, let’s not try to minimize that, but there is hope on the way. Last week, some of Chattanooga’s first frontline medical workers received the COVID-19 vaccine.

There is a lot of enthusiasm — and a lot of questions — about the new COVID-19 vaccines that are coming to Tennessee, and understandably so! In 2021, these safe and effective vaccines will do so much to get life back to normal for all of us. While we wait our turn, there are things each of us can do to get informed and get ready.

Last week, I launched a new campaign and resources to keep our community engaged and educated about the COVID-19 vaccines.

“Get Ready! It’s up to you. It’s up to us.” has a lot of great information about how the vaccines work, as well as social media tools that make it easy for you to spread the word about why it’s important to get ready for them. We’re getting more information about the vaccines all the time, so we’ll be updating this site frequently and sending you links to articles, podcasts, and other resources when you sign up.

Because of the extensive review process, we know these vaccines are safe and effective, but what we don’t know is when exactly the vaccine will be available to everyone. In the meantime, we have to keep working to stop the spread of the coronavirus in our community.

I want to encourage the public and local community leaders to use their individual platforms within their social circles to keep the vaccine and safety precautions like social distancing, practicing good hygiene and masking up top of mind.

I’ve already decided to get my vaccine when it’s my turn. I hope you’ll join me by taking the steps that you and your family need to get informed and get ready. Start today by texting ‘vaccine’ to 97779 or visiting cha.city/vaccine.

— Mayor Andy Berke