Irvington sponsors resolution to designate COVID-19 Memorial Day

IRVINGTON, NJ — This month officially marks one year since COVID-19 shut down the state and created a new normal for everyone. To commemorate this event, the township of Irvington has sponsored a resolution to designate the first Monday of March as COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day.

“This resolution acknowledges and recognizes the devastating impact that COVID-19 is having globally, nationally and locally, especially in Irvington,” Irvington Council Second Vice President Charnette Fredric said on Feb. 28. “Marked by COVID is the organization advocating for the March 1 memorial for COVID-19 victims. This resolution was brought to my attention by Kim Letizi, who was affected personally.”

Letizi lost her father to COVID-19 on Oct. 29.

“He, just like the over 500,000 lives lost to this disease, is not just a number,” Letizi said in a statement provided to the newspaper. “We must remember the ones we lost and come together as a society to recognize the grief we all endured. Thank you to the Irvington municipal council for recognizing and memorializing the lives lost to COVID-19.”

According to Frederic, more than 50 municipalities in 26 states have signed similar resolutions.

“I am extremely proud to propose this resolution, as I encourage other municipalities to do the same,” Frederic said. “Fortunately, the whole municipality of Irvington, including Mayor (Tony) Vauss and every council member, strongly supported and eagerly endorsed this resolution. It was unanimously adopted by the township.”

Marking one year since the virus began taking lives in the United States, the township wants to unite the community and remember those we have lost.

“Our intent is that this day of recognition brings awareness of the deadly impact COVID-19 had and continues to have in Irvington,” Frederic said. “It is also our way of showing our gratitude to our first responders, public servants and our health care community, who continue to be our heroes every day during these difficult and challenging times.

“We have more than 2.4 million people worldwide who have lost their lives due to this deadly virus, including more than 500,000 in the U.S., more than 23,000 in New Jersey and more than 193 in Irvington,” she continued. “It is significant because it marks about a year when most school districts, churches and businesses literally shutdown because of this virus. We think that it is appropriate after a year, we rally together and show unity and support everyone impacted by this disease. We will come back better and stronger as we are uniting to face these challenges.”

According to Essex County statistics from March 4, 207 Irvington residents have died from COVID-19. Frederic hopes these sobering numbers and the COVID-19 remembrance will push residents to receive the vaccination.

“This resolution alone will not get it done, but it is a step forward towards educating our residents about how to protect themselves and how to protect their families,” Frederic said. “We have done an enormous amount of work and we still have a lot of work left to do. We know that a lot of our residents are extremely cautious, hesitant and timid about getting vaccinated. Our goal here is to let them know that we care about them and get a sense of what is causing them to be hesitant toward the vaccine. We know that there is a lot of distrust about the vaccine, and it is perfectly reasonable for our residents to question the motives of certain public officials and of the pharmaceutical industry.

“As a public servant, I think we have to do a better job communicating to them about pros and cons of the status quo and addressing their concerns about the vaccine,” she continued. “We need to bring medical experts into the conversations and advocate for clarity about the benefits of the vaccine. This resolution and awareness is helping us move in the right direction.”

Frederic urges those at risk to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

“Based on the data currently available, we know those who are at risk should get vaccinated first and as quick as possible,” Frederic said. “It is a fact that the risk of having deadly symptoms dramatically increases for our older residents and those who have serious health issues, such as heart or lung problems, obesity and diabetes, etc. We are very concerned about the welfare and the health of those who are at risk and those who are the most vulnerable among us. That’s what this resolution is about.”

  COVID-19, FEATURED, Irvington Municipal Council