March 14 Will Be Annual ‘Day of Remembrance’ For New Yorkers Lost to COVID-19

Moving forward, March 14 will be known as an annual day of remembrance for New Yorkers who have been lost to the coronavirus.

The announcement was made by the city's mayor, Bill de Blasio, on Thursday during his final COVID-19 briefing of 2020.

March 14, 2020, was the first day that a New Yorker died from the virus.

“Next March 14, 2021, will be a day of remembrance in New York City,” he said. “We need to recognize the 25,000 of our fellow New Yorkers gone. That’s something we have to always mark going forward.”

The day will serve as a chance to "remember the painful lessons we learned" from the COVID-19 pandemic, the mayor revealed on Thursday.

Mayor de Blasio said the city will remember the victims of the pandemic by "being there for their families, honoring those who did so much to same them, and by working to make the city better in their memory.

The day of remembrance is also intended to be a warning to the city for preparedness for future dangers as it's a "time to rededicate ourselves to making a difference and changing things," the mayor said.

"It will always also be a day to look forward and say, how can we do better so we never lose people again and we have a city that is there for everyone going forward," he said on Thursday.