Detroit Honors Over 1,500 Residents Who Died From Coronavirus

DETROIT, MI — The city of Detroit honored the more than 1,500 Detroiters who have died from the coronavirus with special tributes, photo viewings and a concert Monday, a Memorial Day held in honor of the city's victims from the virus.

Monday's event coincided with the installation of large photo boards representing Detroit residents who died from the coronavirus along a route on Belle Isle. Families and friends will be able to say goodbye, and the photos will be given to families when the memorial is over.

"The city was hit harder than most — most in the country, to be honest," Gov. Grethen Whitmer said during the Memorial Day event.

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Whitmer was among a series of speakers, noting the significant impact the pandemic has had on Detroit. While Michigan has reported more than 100,000 cases of the coronavirus, Detroit alone has reported over 13,000.

"It's easy to get numb in this environment, but we must not just look at these as numbers," Whitmer said. "These are people, men and women, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons. Brothers and sisters, who dreams and plans and a story."

Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist also spoke of the impact the virus has had on the city and on himself as well. Gilchrist said he has lost 23 people in his life to the virus, 20 of which are from Detroit.

"Their stories and their legacies were cut short but now we must act as though we are their legacies, because we are, and honor them properly" Gilchrist said. "We have to respect and honor those who may have lost everything by ensuring that as few people as possible lose anything going forward."

Belle Isle featured over 900 large signs, each representing a coronavirus victim from Detroit. Bells rang across Belle Isle, where 15 funeral processions rounded the island in honor of the 1,500 victims. Belle Isle will be open for public viewing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The city partnered with WRCJ 90.9 FM to provide the soundtrack for the Memorial Drive, as mourners and residents across the city can tune in to the station to hear gospel music played in honor of the victims.

The drive will last from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Related: Detroit To Honor City Coronavirus Victims Aug. 31

Detroit has been hit hard by the coronavirus, at one point having the second most cases in the the U.S., trailing only New York. Now, the city is 18th in the nation.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Detroit "is going to fight back" against the virus, and already has. Duggan said during the onset of the pandemic that the city quickly saw an increase in coronavirus infections. But it also saw that number decline rapidly afterward, something he attributed to the strength of will Detroiters have as well as the leadership Whitmer has shown in issuing safety guidelines amid the pandemic.

"We went from having no cases to the hospitals being overwhelmed, people on gurneys in hallways, 600 police officers quarantined — almost a quarter of the department," Duggan said. "I said from the beginning, Detroit is going to fight back."