MEMPHIS, Tenn. — You probably wouldn’t know it judging by some of our daily activities, but we are still very much in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, cases in Shelby County are down from their peak in late August. But we currently have a daily average of 245 cases. And so far, there have been more than 2,100 total deaths.
The really disturbing number is the national death total for 2021 that has already surpassed the deaths recorded in all of last year. Think about that. We have had a safe, available, and effective vaccine for most of this year, and COVID deaths have already surpassed last year when there was no vaccine. In all, more than 700,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID.
But behind many of those numbers are people who have simply refused to take the vaccine – despite clear evidence that it saves lives. And then there are the family members left behind – many of whom now regret that they did not do more to get their loved ones to take the shot.
I’ve said this before but it bears repeating. Unless there is a legitimate medical reason not to get vaccinated, people who refuse the shot are being selfish, and they are preventing us all from really getting back to normal. These numbers don’t lie. COVID can and does kill, and the vaccine is our only answer.