New York City To Honor Pandemic Victims In ‘Day Of Remembrance’ Virtual Memorial, Marking 1 Year Since City’s First Known COVID-19 Death

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York City is marking one year since the state’s first confirmed COVID-19 fatality Sunday.

Officials planned a virtual ceremony to remember the approximately 30,000 residents killed by the coronavirus since March 2020.

The event is set to stream on city websites and social media 7:45 p.m. Families are encouraged to submit names and photos of their loved ones to NYC.gov/COVIDMemorial.

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Scientists believe the virus had been circulating silently in the Tri-State Area for weeks before officials announced the city’s first positive test on March 2, 2020.

The World Health Organization declared a worldwide pandemic on March 11, when New York City was the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S.

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Broadway theaters and other large entertainment venues were ordered to close on March 12. Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered schools to close on March 15. Bars and restaurants followed, and schools closed statewide a few days later.

On March 20, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he was banning gatherings of any size, for an reason, anywhere in the state.

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New York City averaged 750 deaths per day during a 10-day stretch in April 2020.

Lockdowns and strict compliance with strict social distancing guidelines worked. By late spring, fatalities plummeted and the region reached some of the country’s lowest infection rates until a resurgence in the fall.

The death toll in New York City and the suburbs in Connecticut and New Jersey stands at more than 65,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

source https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/03/14/new-york-city-day-of-remembrance-virtual-covid-memorial/