New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that the city would honor the “heroes” of the COVID-19 pandemic with a “ticker tape parade” when the quarantine ends.
“The day is coming where we will overcome this disease. When that day comes that we can restart the vibrant beautiful life of this city the first thing we will do is have a ticker-tape parade,” De Blasio told reporters, according to the New York Post. “We will honor those who saved us.” (RELATED: Some Patients May Be Avoiding Hospitals Due To Coronavirus Despite Needing Emergency Care For Heart Attacks, Strokes)
BREAKING: Mayor de Blasio announces when #NYC finally reopens … there will be a ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes for Health Care Workers and First Responders #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/T8rtq0i5JY
— Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) April 21, 2020
“This parade will mark the beginning of our renaissance, but it’ll also be most importantly the chance to say thank you to so many good and noble people. This one will speak to the kind of heroism that is intrinsic to who we are as New Yorkers,” he continued.
De Blasio has been criticized for his handling of the pandemic including when he encouraged New York residents on Saturday to report those violating social distancing measures by snapping “a photo and text it to 311-692.” Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani condemned de Blasio over his new policy adding that it was “turning people against each other.”
While the restrictions may be necessary, compliance is obtained not by turning people against each other but by a repetitious and creative explanation for the rationale behind the restrictions.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) April 19, 2020
New York City has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. with over 100,00 confirmed cases within the city, leading to approximately 10,000 deaths, according to the New York Times.