00:00This is the COVID-19 commemorative sculpture by Paul Kennedy and we're here in the setting
00:23of Shrewsbury Abbey.
00:27Today is the COVID-19 Day of Reflection. It seems almost incredible that it was five years
00:34ago since the COVID-19 outbreak took real hold, but today gives us an opportunity to
00:41think about those who passed away, to think about the impact it had on families.
00:46Today is a huge opportunity to stand here and say thanks to everybody who came and who
00:50stood up and supported the response to the pandemic, whether that was volunteers, whether
00:54that was staff, whether that was people in the communities.
00:57Those teachers, those nurses, those doctors, all of the services, our own care services,
01:04all of those people really, really, really helped and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
01:10We continue to live with the impacts and obviously we still have things in place, vaccinations,
01:15hand spit, face to face, all of that that will help us continue to respond to this and
01:20to future pandemics should they arise.
01:23We know that it continues to impact significantly on individuals through long COVID, through
01:28the trauma that people went through, through that period, and so it's an opportunity to
01:32recognise the impact that it still has.
01:34We stand here today, we reflect, we remember and we say thank you.
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