Alabamians are encouraged to join with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Hospital Association for a statewide moment of silence at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 7 to remember the more than 12,000 Alabamians lost to COVID-19.
The public is asked to participate for those who’ve died, those still suffering from COVID-19 and for the families and health care workers, according to UAB.
“Employees at UAB Hospital and UAB Medicine’s outpatient facilities will participate in the observance, along with hospital staff and physicians from across the state,” UAB said in an article.
“The Delta variant is causing unprecedented devastation and grief in Alabama,” said Dr. Donald Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, in a statement to UAB. “We had hoped that we’d be in a better place this fall; but our hospitals are full, and families across the state continue to deal with tremendous loss. Our dedicated health care workers are under incredible physical and emotional strain, yet still are giving all they have to care for their patients. Likely, all of us know someone who has been negatively impacted by COVID-19, and we would like to take a moment to pause and remember these individuals.”
There have been 12,291 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Alabama as of Wednesday, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.
“Seeing the dramatic loss of lives and the awful sickness caused by the virus has been extremely challenging for our hospitals and their staff and physicians, and we thought it might be helpful and healing for us all to have a few collective minutes of silent reflection and prayer,” Williamson told UAB. “We urge others across the state to join us on Tuesday.”
