Remembering 9/11 Amid Coronavirus: Services In Gloucester County

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJ — Over the years, the nation has come together at ceremonies in Gloucester County and across the country to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

However, as the 19th anniversary of the attacks arrives, ceremonies are likely to look different.

To date, more than 6 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting community leaders to put in place extra precautions and enhanced safety measures at these annual events. While some communities are moving events online, others are canceling events out of an abundance of caution.

Gloucester County is one of many entities changing its plan for 9/11 ceremonies amid the pandemic.

Gloucester County’s Patriots Day ceremony, which is held every year to honor those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, will be pre-recorded this year, county officials announced on Tuesday.

For the last 18 years, the ceremony has been held at the Place of Reflection in Chestnut Branch Park in Mantua. That has changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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As of Tuesday, there were 3,904 cases of the coronavirus in Gloucester County with 216 confirmed deaths. Gloucester County has conducted 52,928 total tests. Of these cases, 49,024 have come back negative.

“Due to Executive Orders and CDC guidelines, we have made the difficult decision to record a virtual ceremony,” county officials said in a statement. “We understand the disappointment this may bring to our residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to miss a lot of milestones and special events this year. Although we may not gather together, we will continue to honor the individuals who perished on that day virtually.”

The ceremony will air on local channels — Comcast Channel 97 or Verizon Channel 34 — at 9 a.m. Friday morning. A recording of the ceremony will also be uploaded to the county’s website, as well as its Facebook and YouTube pages.

Services held at 9/11 attack sites will also look different this year because of the pandemic. Some have already faced a series of hurdles to go on as planned.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to send state health personnel to New York City to provide supervision during the annual "Tribute in Light" ceremony, a commemoration of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Cuomo said staff will be on hand to “ensure this year's tribute is held safely.”

Cuomo's announcement came just days after 9/11 Memorial & Museum officials had nixed the 2020 tribute due to coronavirus concerns.

Now, the focus of the New York City commemoration will be reading the names of victims. Family members will not read the names in person this year; instead, recorded readings from the museum’s In Memoriam exhibition will be used for the ceremony.

In Arlington County, Virginia, located just outside Washington, D.C., the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial remains closed to visitors because of COVID-19 restrictions. Arlington County typically holds an annual remembrance ceremony, which this year will be held virtually. Specific plans for this year’s service will be released the week of Sept. 11, according to county spokesperson Erika Moore.

In Pennsylvania, the National Park Service will hold an abbreviated ceremony at Shanksville. The 20-minute “Moment of Remembrance” is set to begin at 9:45 a.m., without a keynote speaker or musical guests.

The names of each passenger and crew member from Flight 93 will be read aloud with the ringing of the “Bells of Remembrance,” according to the agency’s website.

Both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden plan to visit Shanksville on Friday. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will attend Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies in New York this year.

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