WASHINGTON, D.C.—As health care workers face the challenge of caring for a staggering number of patients with coronavirus, abortion facilities are conducting business as usual.

National Right to Life’s state affiliates have led the way in urging state officials to close abortion facilities as non-essential medical services. Closing facilities would protect clients and staff from possible exposure to COVID-19 and free up medical supplies and personal protection equipment for use by hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We praise our state affiliates for leading the way in challenging the abortion industry’s ‘business as usual’ response to the coronavirus pandemic,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “During this time, it is vital that all available U.S. resources be focused on turning the tide of the pandemic.”

Pro-abortion groups and their allies are challenging orders from governors in several states who are calling for a ban on all non-essential surgical procedures—including abortions. Federal and state officials have called for a halt to all elective surgeries so medical care can be focused on those in immediate need and personal protection equipment can be reserved for those on the frontlines in the pandemic. The abortion industry has ignored calls to close abortion facilities and is continuing to pursue the destruction of unborn babies for monetary gain.

“Thousands of surgical procedures have been put on hold, millions of Americans are practicing social distancing, several states have issued stay-at-home orders, and thousands are hospitalized with coronavirus, yet abortion clinics are conducting business as usual,” stated Tobias.

In addition, abortion proponents and apologists are calling for telemedicine abortions using RU-486. However, a recent press release by the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists noted that approximately 5% of all RU-486 abortions result in emergency room visits—most often because of hemorrhaging. These visits would put women at risk of contracting coronavirus and strain the resources of already stretched emergency room personnel.

“While hospitals and emergency rooms struggle to care for those affected by coronavirus and lives are lost daily to this disease, abortion facilities are deliberately taking the lives of unborn children and calling it ‘essential care’” stated Jennifer Popik, J.D., legislative director for National Right to Life. “Taking the life of an unborn baby is not essential care for the mother or her baby.”

“National Right to Life affiliates have been leading the way to see that abortion clinics comply with directives to cease non-essential services,” said Ingrid Duran, National Right to Life’s director of State Legislation. “States that have called for abortion facilities to stop abortion procedures include Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.”

Temporary restraining orders halting or preventing state directives to stop elective abortions have been issued in Texas, Ohio, and Alabama.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.