Detroiters remembered those they have lost during the pandemic at a solemn ceremony Monday morning.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan at the memorial service on Belle Isle to celebrate the lives of those who have died of COVID-19.
At 8:45 a.m., church bells across the city marked the beginning of 15 different processions around the island, each representing 100 people lost. They drove past billboards showing photos of the victims.
(A screenshot of photos of those lost to COVID-19 in Detroit have been erected on Belle Isle courtesy of the City of Detroit on Facebook)
Whitmer told those gathered the State of Michigan marked its 100,000th case of COVID-19 last week. So far, 6,750 Michigan residents have died, 1,500 in Detroit alone.
"It's easy to get numb in this environment, but we must not just look at these as numbers. These are people -- who had dreams, and plans, and a story. They weren't finished yet," she said. "The youngest here in Michigan, Skylar Herbert, had a lifetime ahead of her -- she cared about the world she was living in, and she was five-years-old."
Duggan praised his city for its fortitude during a time of incredible challenge. He admitted it would have been impossible to imagine in March how the virus would impact the community.
"We went from having no cases to the hospitals being overwhelmed," he said. "600 police officers quarantined, almost a quarter of the department. Not only did we all know a lot of people who had COVID, we all had friends who died from it."
Duggan also criticized the national media for suggesting since Detroit's median income level is lower than the national average, the city was helpless in its fight.
"I said from the beginning, Detroit is going to fight back. There's no doubt the City of Detroit went up faster in infections than any other in the country, but we also came down faster," he reminded the gathering. "Detroiters cared for each other."
He praised residents for taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks. He said Detroit was only second behind New York City for the rate of infection at one point in the pandemic. Now, it is 18th in the country.
Whitmer has faced criticism, lawsuits, and even threats over her handling of the pandemic, but she vowed to continue her battle to protect Michiganders. She also promised to address racial inequities laid bare by the virus.
"We can not say that we are fighting this virus effectively if we don't include a sharp focus on protecting communities of colour," she proclaimed. "I want to reiterate our commitment to studying the gross inequities and leading an agenda out of this that addresses them."
According to John Hopkins University, there have been 5.9 million cases recorded across the U.S. as of Monday. Over 183,000 people have died.
Globally, the total number of cases has risen to 25.2 million.
