With the death count of Americans succumbing to COVID-19 continuing its rise, the Town of Carrboro is urging the community take a moment of reflection on Tuesday, January 19.

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle has proclaimed the day as COVID-19 Memorial Day in the town, according to a release from the local government.

“Carrboro Town Hall will be lit on this evening, and I urge all churches and clergy to toll their bells and all residents of Carrboro to light a candle at 5:30 p.m. to honor the lives lost to the pandemic, and to reflect upon this challenging period in our nation’s history,” Lavelle said in a release.

The proclamation matches the day of recognition announced by President-Elect Joe Biden’s inaugural committee for the Tuesday, where Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris will host a ceremony of their own at 5:30 to memorialize those who have died from the coronavirus.

“As we remain in the midst of a deadly pandemic where so many Americans are grieving the loss of family, friends, and neighbors,” said Lavelle, “it is important to pause and reflect on the lives that we have lost, as we continue to work to defeat COVID-19.”

The New York Times reports 388,785 people in the United States as having died from complications caused by COVID-19 as of January 14, with 3,973 reported on Thursday. In North Carolina, 7,825 residents have died from the virus, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

 

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