HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — The Alabama Hospital Association reports more than 2,000 people are being treated in the hospital for COVID statewide.

According to Mark Culver, Commission Chairman for Houston County, due to the amount of COVID patients, both Southeast Health Center and Flower’s Hospital have doctors, nurses, and staff reaching their limits. He said they are going above and beyond to make sure patients are cared for.

“They’re overworked, they’re stressed,” Culver said. “The number of people out there is extremely high. They’re not able to do their normal job because of the amount of work and COVID that is put on them.”

On Friday, Southeast Health had a total of 112 patients fighting COVID. Flowers Hospital currently has 78 patients battling the virus. This is why Culver is asking for the help of the community.

“Any kind of assistance you can give them to help them while they are working to make them feel good about the community caring about them,” Culver.

If you are unable to donate items such as food or drinks, Culver said it’s a great idea to even drop off a letter of encouragement. He said these will go a long way for the people fighting on the front line.

Culver said the community needs to help and reach out to all hospital staff and let them know they are appreciated, but he said the best way to show them their work is worth it is by getting vaccinated and wearing a mask.

“We encourage people to get the vaccine if you feel comfortable doing that, but really do your research and make sure you know about the vaccine and you make a conscious decision about it,” Culver said.