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NYC To Hold Day Of Remembrance Marking One Year Of COVID's Deadly Toll

By

David Cruz

Published Mar 13, 2021

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At Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, a body wrapped in plastic is loaded into a hearse and handled by medical workers wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns before being sent to a mortuary.

 

John Minchillo/AP/Shutterstock

By

David Cruz

Published Mar 13, 2021

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It was on March 11th, 2020 when Tedros Adhanom of the World Health Organization soberingly declared COVID-19 a pandemic. But it wasn't until March 14th when the first COVID-19 death was recorded in New York City, a preview into what lied ahead for a city rocked by a worldwide outbreak.

Now, as the city forges ahead with reopening, it will pause on Sunday to mark the one-year anniversary of the first reported COVID-19 fatality in New York City. It's pegged as the official day of remembrance honoring those who've died from COVID-19 in the past year.

Memorial organizers are asking those who’ve had a friend or relative die from COVID-19 to take part in the event by “sharing the name and photograph of the person they lost,” according to the website alerting New Yorkers of the event.

"The photograph may be featured as part of the City's ceremony," the website reads.

The first reported COVID-19 death in New York City happened in Brooklyn, where an 82-year-old woman succumbed to the virus. The woman had been battling emphysema and had been hospitalized at Wyckoff Medical Center on March 3rd of that year and died March 14th, 2020. Her death is part of the 30,031 people who've died from COVID-19 in New York City—25,147 deaths categorized by the city as confirmed, and 5,027 considered probable.

Read More: Remembering March 2020 In NYC: When The "Before Times" Came To An End

The city's event will be held virtually on Twitter at 7:45 p.m. Another day of remembrance event is being organized by Lincoln Center, where the Young People's Chorus of New York City will sing "You'll Never Walk Alone," the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein's song, to mark the moment.

"We offer a message of hope and shared humanity with the world on this somber anniversary," reads the website.

The Lincoln Center event is scheduled for noon, and can be found on the institution’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

The events are among several marking the anniversary of a virus that took a heavy toll on New York. In some cases, the stricken New Yorkers died alone in hospitals, their homes, or at nursing homes. Making matters worse is that the hospitalized or those bound in nursing homes died alone, leaving grieving families to only wonder just what their loved one's last moments were like. As the virus took hold and the city restricted indoor gatherings, funeral services limited the number of mourners, leaving the grieving process incomplete for many.

From the time COVID-19 closed schools, restaurants, movie theaters, and Broadway, there are hints that New York City is on a path toward a comeback given the arrival of a vaccine and slow reopening of so many New York City staples longed for since the pandemic settled in.

At a news conference announcing the memorial event, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to consider submitting a photo for the city's event.

"We want to put up images of New Yorkers from all over the five boroughs who we lost so we remember them, so we appreciate them," de Blasio said. "And again, let's stand in solidarity with their families not just today, but all the way forward."

To submit a photo for the city's memorial event for potential placement, click here.

Tagged

COVID-19

David Cruz

David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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