Resolution would designate the first Monday of March as “COVID-19 Victims Memorial Day”
Washington (March 7, 2023) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) reintroduced a resolution to memorialize those lost to COVID–19. The resolution would designate the first Monday in March as “COVID–19 Victims Memorial Day.” The resolution was first introduced in August of 2021.
“Too many families know the pain and have felt the heartbreak that is losing a loved one to COVID-19,” said Senator Markey. “As we approach the third year of this pandemic, we must continue to honor the lives of the more than one million of our fellow Americans – friends, neighbors, loved ones – who have been lost to this horrible disease. This resolution recognizes our nation’s immeasurable mourning and serves as a reminder for Congress to renew its commitment to protecting communities from this ongoing public health crisis.”
“Many of our families, friends, and communities are still struggling with the impact of COVID-19 and coping with the loss of loved ones the pandemic stole from us too soon,” said Senator Warren. “This resolution will give long-overdue recognition and honor to those we have lost to COVID-19.”
There have been more than 100 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and over 1.1 million Americans who have tragically lost their lives to this disease. COVID–19 has had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and communities of color, exacerbating existing inequities that were already prevalent in our health systems and that must be addressed.
The resolution is supported by the advocacy organization, Marked By COVID.
“We must mark our losses together to brace against a nation’s crushing sadness. Upstanders like Senator Warren and Rep. Stanton, as well as countless activists and individuals, have shown me and my family solidarity in both pain and progress,” said Kristin Urquiza, co-founder of Marked By Covid. “We are unified in our commitment to observe Covid Memorial Day – and remember people like my dad Mark – on the first Monday of March, in perpetuity.”
Representative Greg Stanton (AZ-04) reintroduced this resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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