Madison and Dane County have declared today, March 1, a Day of Remembrance and Recovery to mark the passing of all the family, friends and neighbors we have lost to COVID-19. Today, we honor those who have lost their lives to the virus and celebrate those who have survived.

Nationwide over 500,000 people have died, a staggering and heartbreaking number. Even though Dane County is among the counties in Wisconsin who have suffered the fewest deaths, over 270 families have been impacted and have lost a loved one.

But amidst our sadness there is also great hope. With 60% of our seniors age 65 and above already with one protective vaccine shot in their arm, we can soon look forward to rapidly falling death rates and hospitalization rates. As more vaccine becomes available and as the weather warms, we can look forward seeing more of our neighbors in the great outdoors, enjoying sports and other activities, and having life return to something much to normal. But for quite a while yet, we will need to maintain good masking, social distancing and hand hygiene policy to take care of ourselves and our friends and neighbors.


Please read and share the resolution below:

Common Council Resolution Declaring March 1, 2021 a Day of Remembrance and Recovery

WHEREAS, COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is an illness caused by a virus that can transmit from person to person and has spread across the world, creating a global pandemic that is having catastrophic effects on human life, our community, and our economy; and,

WHEREAS, Madison had its first case of COVID-19 on February 5, 2020, marking the 12th case in the nation; and,

WHEREAS, To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, observance of public health orders to social distance and stay at home have created challenges for Madison’s small businesses, workers, schools and other important institutions which are working to comply with limited resources; and,

WHEREAS, School districts, teachers, students, and parents are grappling with the challenges of distance learning and working to prevent any potential learning loss due to not being in-person; and,

WHEREAS, In the absence of adequate federal guidance, local and state governments, public health departments, and public servants have taken bold actions to protect residents, support struggling local economies, and find innovative ways to provide services; and,

WHEREAS, In response to rapid spread of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders, essential workers in the public and private sector have stepped up to provide critical services to help protect our communities and save lives, sacrificing their own health and safety; and,

WHEREAS, COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and communities of color, exacerbating inequities already prevalent in our systems that we must address locally and as a nation; and,

WHEREAS, The symptoms and severity of COVID-19 can vary dramatically by individual and the long-term health implications for survivors is largely unknown, as many survivors suffer with lingering side-effects of the disease long after they no longer test positive; and,

WHEREAS, More than 2.42 million people worldwide and 485,070 in the United States have lost their lives due to COVID-19, more than the number of Americans lost to World War II and, in Madison alone, more than 98 lives have been lost to this deadly virus; and,

WHEREAS, Each life lost to COVID-19 mattered and leaves a hole in the hearts of loved ones, family members, and their surrounding community,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Madison joins Dane County and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in remembering and mourning the loss of our friends and neighbors to COVID-19; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, in honor of those who have lost their lives and those who survived COVID-19 and continue to suffer from the impact of this virus, we declare March 1, 2021 a Day of Remembrance and Recovery.

Madison deaths March 1

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