EDITORIAL: This Weekend, RI Will Cross Over 3,000 COVID Deaths & Tens of Thousands of Broken Hearts

EDITORIAL: This Weekend, RI Will Cross Over 3,000 COVID Deaths & Tens of Thousands of Broken Hearts

We enter the weekend with 2,992 COVID deaths in Rhode Island. It is almost a statistical certainty that this weekend we will cross over the milestone of 3,000 deaths as a result of this virus.

(As the Department of Health is often late in reporting deaths, we may have already crossed that threshold)

We have lost beloved teachers and police officers; parents, sons, and daughters. 

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Some of our most talented have died. Seven of the dead were in their 20s just beginning their adulthood.

In total, hundreds were under 60 years of age.

Many were in their 70s, 80s, or older, who were cheated of their final years — missing family weddings, one more grandchild, or cherished holiday.

There were beloved community leaders and small business owners who died. They were all innocent.

Some did everything right to avoid the virus and others thumbed their noses and tempted fate.

They are all equally gone.

And they are each equally missed. The voids around the holiday tables will be no less heart-wrenching for their families.

There has been terrible misinformation intended to stunt educating the public — that has resulted in its share of the suffering.

And, there have been mistakes by public health agencies trying to address the pandemic, but yet making errors.

The virus is no one's friend.

Across the board, there is sadness, emptiness, and guilt at all levels.

The world, the country, and Rhode Island may now face its most difficult challenge — the double enemy of the raging Delta variant and the incredibly contagious Omicron variant which is sure to sweep across the globe.

As Americans and feisty Rhode Islanders, we have a history of standing up to challenges. There are more deaths to come, more heartbreak, but in the face of the ongoing threat, we can in fact lead in fighting this virus.

We will cross over the milestone of 3,000 deaths this weekend and assuredly hundreds more will die, but all of us can learn from the tragedy and do everything we can to have as many chairs around the holiday tables full of our favorite aunts, our beloved nieces and nephews, and even our "annoying" cousins.

The virus has taken 3,000 of our families and friends in Rhode Island alone.

Let's fight to save everyone we can from this deadly pandemic, because as we know -- it spares no family.