BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD (WEAA) — Baltimore County officials held a ceremony on Thursday to recognize the one year anniversary of the first resident in the county who lost their life to COVID-19.
Today's ceremony honored the 1year anniversary of #BaltimoreCounty’s first death from #COVID19. Since this crisis began, we have lost 1,321 loved ones and neighbors. Today we placed an American flag on Patriot Plaza for every person we lost as a result of this #pandemic. https://t.co/JsPpJ1ldfa
— Baltimore County (@BaltCoGov) March 25, 2021
More than 1,300 residents have died due to the virus and there are over 54,000 known cases of COVID-19 alone in the county.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny A. Olzewski Jr., was joined by Pastor Karen Bethea, who began the ceremony with a prayer for all families, elected officials, and frontline workers who have been affected by the pandemic.
“Today we are placing an American flag here in Patriot Plaza for every person Baltimore County has lost as a result of this pandemic. We honor their memories and remember them”, says Olzewski.
Council Chairman Julian E. Jones Jr., Dr. Ed Tori of the Islamic Society of Baltimore and Al-Rahmah School, Dr. Gregory Branch of the Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services, Rabbi Jessy Dressin of Repair the World, and a handful of other agency and community leaders also joined the ceremony.
Officials reassured residents, "In time, we will begin a process of healing and we will remember to be there for each other as we do so".
Even as we grieve for those we’ve lost, we must remain vigilant against this virus and continue doing all we can to save lives.
— Baltimore County (@BaltCoGov) March 25, 2021
In time, we will begin a process of healing and we will remember to be there for each other as we do so.