New York City Pays Tribute to COVID-19 Victims

New York City paid tribute on Sunday, March 14, to its 30,258 recorded deaths of the COVID-19 virus, a year after the start of the pandemic.

The live virtual ceremony started with a recital from the New York Philharmonic in front of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge that was lit by candles and where large black and white photos of the victims were projected.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a virtual live ceremony that the loss is more than the loss during World War II, Vietnam, Hurricane Sandy, and 9/11 attacks, put together. The Mayor called for a moment of silence in honoring the lives of the victims and said that in some way, every family is touched by the "pain that is raw."

The Democratic Mayor also told the citizens of New York to remember the good times, then quoted the words from a renowned Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "no matter what happens, no one can take away the dances you've already danced."

He also honored the frontline workers during the pandemic, the "health care heroes" who "saved lives," risking their own lives to serve the people.

New York is one the most impacted by the pandemic in the United States, with a total number of 1.74 million cases and around 48,000 deaths.

As of writing, New York City has already recorded 777 thousand total COVID-19 cases and 30,2058 deaths, while the whole country of the United States has already recorded a total of 29.5 million cases and 534 thousand deaths.

Recently, the US government approved President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill to help aid millions of Americans who are gravely affected by the pandemic and to help the economy recover from its havoc. The bill is considered as the country's largest economic stimulus in history, which others say would be very helpful for Americans, while critics said it is too much and may pose greater risks.