Vigil For COVID-19 Victims In Milford On Thursday

MILFORD, MA — The Milford Lions Club will sponsor a COVID-19 remembrance ceremony on Thursday, according to organizers.

The vigil at Plains Park will also spread awareness about public health and the need to prepare for future pandemics, Lions Club member Loriann Braza said. Local officials will speak at the vigil.

Close to 21,000 people have died due to COVID-19 in Massachusetts since March 2020, including over 2,600 Worcester County residents, according to state data.

Massachusetts is still seeing high levels of coronavirus due to the ba.2, ba.4 and ba.5 subvariants of omicron. Vaccines and at-home test kits are now widely available, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved vaccines for children as young as 6 months.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at Plains Park, 90 Cedar St. Refreshments, hot dogs and hamburgers will be served. AYR Wellness, which operates the Sira Natural cannabis grow facility in Milford, will also be on hand to give the Lions Club a check to conduct children's eye exam clinics.