FILE -- Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell speaks during a press conference to announce the launch of Landed, a down payment assistance program that helps educators and government workers buy a home, outside of Ogden City Hall in Ogden on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
OGDEN, Utah — Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell says he still hears from people who don’t think COVID-19 is a real thing. But he says half the members of his family have had the illness and his wife’s uncle passed away from it. That’s why he was pleased to endorse a resolution passed this week by the Ogden City Council designating Monday, March 1st as “COVID Victims and Survivors Memorial Day.”
Cities across the United States have adopted similar resolutions to mark the day in honor of those who have died from COVID-19 and the millions more who have survived it. They include Salt Lake City, which passed its resolution in a council meeting on February 17th. Dan Dugan, a member of the Salt Lake City Council, presented the resolution.
“You know, we’ve lost, right now, over half a million people across the United States, so I think it’s kinda nice to reflect and honor their lives,” Dugan says.
Mayor Caldwell agrees. “It gives respect to those who have lost family members and been impacted by this, and I think it’s just important to keep that front of mind.”
Caldwell says the city doesn’t plan any specific observance of the day, but he’s hoping people will remember.
COVID-19 coronaviruses transmitted from person to person. It is a virus that is similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
Utah’s Coronavirus Information
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Commonly asked questions, World Health Organization