The nearly 28,000 Arizona residents who have died of COVID-19 were honored Monday with a public ceremony.
A first ever COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day was held at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe. The Arizona Historical Society and nonprofit Marked By COVID coordinated the event.
The outdoor memorial includes a display of photos of people killed by the virus, a COVID-19 memorial quilt and remarks from people in the public health field. Embry Health will offer free COVID-19 testing on site.
Arizona has seen 27,708 deaths from the virus. As the pandemic enters a third year, the death toll globally has surpassed 6 million.