Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact.
Title
Honoring those who have lost their lives and those who survived COVID-19 and declaring March 1, 2021 a Day of Remembrance and Recovery.
Body
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.