Suozzi Joins In Candlelight Vigil Marking Coronavirus Deaths

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi joined fellow members of Congress and the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday in a candlelight vigil to mark the half million people who have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawmakers stood at dusk outside the Capitol silently holding candles in observance of the milestone while “Take my hand” and “Precious Lord” were performed, the New York Post reported.

In a statement following the vigil, the Glen Cove congressman, who represents parts of Long Island and the north shore, called the milestone tragic, noting that if one second was observed for every person who has died from the coronavirus in the country, it would amount to almost six days.

Suozzi noted that while the last year “has been filled with sadness and loss,” Americans witnessed people across the country showing “the enormous ability to work together and overcome the difficulty presented by this virus.”

“Our nation will soon get through these darkest hours in recent memory and honor the memory of the loved ones we lost,” he said.

Suozzi continued by saying that the country will get through the pandemic and celebrate life’s simple pleasures that were once taken for granted. “We’ll hug, we’ll have family parties, we’ll go out to dinner, or maybe a concert. We will thank God for the gifts of our lives,” he added.

Suozzi urged constituents not to become “desensitized to the magnitude of the grief and devastation that the pandemic has caused” and to continue following COVID-19 protocols like wearing a mask or facial covering, practicing social distancing, getting vaccinated when it’s available, and to not forget to “look out for each other.”