March 14 will be COVID-19 Memorial Day in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday.
The city reported its first coronavirus fatality on March 14, 2020, and the event will recognize all people who have died from the virus since then.
The city’s Department of Health reports that 25,099 Big Apple deaths are related to COVID-19.
Of this total, 20,295 deaths from the virus were confirmed, while 4,804 other fatalities were considered “probable” cases of COVID-19.
De Blasio said residents of “all backgrounds” were affected, but noted that the disease particularly affected the city’s poorest minority neighborhoods.
“Many that we lost were victims of disparities … victims of a lot of racism,” said the mayor during his holiday press conference.
