By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News
A moment of silence for the more than 12,000 Alabamians who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is planned for noon today.
The remembrance is organized by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Hospital Association.
Alabamians are encouraged to participate from wherever they are and remember not only those who have died, but also those who are currently suffering with COVID, the families of those affected and the health care workers caring for them, a press release from UAB said.
To date, 12,416 Alabamians’ deaths have been attributed to the virus and there have been a total of 724,688 cases, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Sunday, there were 2,724 Alabamians in hospitals across the state with COVID-19, 54 of them children. Of the adult patients, 84% were unvaccinated.
“The delta variant is causing unprecedented devastation and grief in Alabama,” said Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association and former state health officer. “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.”