Walsh: 'One Boston Day' 2020 Will Be A 'Turning Point' In Coronavirus Fight
BOSTON (CBS) – On the seventh anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Mayor Marty Walsh said the city will have to mark One Boston Day in a different way this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I believe that we will look back on this week, One Boston Day 2020, as a turning point, when we made progress in slowing the spread, flattened the curve, and starting to turn the corner," the mayor said at a news conference outside City Hall before holding a moment of silence to honor those who died in the attacks and aftermath.
In an earlier video on Twitter, Walsh called for Boston "to stand together by staying apart" this year because of social distancing. Walsh said Wednesday that Boston has had 84 deaths due to coronavirus and 4,286 cases so far.
"We won't be able to host in-person events or volunteer projects for One Boston Day this year," the mayor said. "The spirit of One Boston Day is more important than ever."
Walsh said the city is encouraging you to "take time for personal reflection, and for spreading kindness."
They're sharing a checklist of acts of kindness on the city's website.
"We ask you to share your reflections on the meaning of One Boston Day on social media with #OneBostonDay," Walsh said.
The city hosted an online interfaith prayer service on Wednesday afternoon. After that, bells tolled at the Old South Church starting at 2:49, marking the time of the explosions.
At 7:30 p.m., a cavalcade of first responders in fire trucks, police cruisers and ambulances traveled past eight hospitals in the city to thank medical personnel.
As the parade passed Boston Children's Hospital, a police officer told the workers outside: "Thank you guys. Thank you for what you do. You guys are the heroes."
One Boston Day was created to honor the countless lives impacted by the deadly 2013 bombings and the manhunt that followed that claimed the lives of Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, Krystle Campbell and Sean Collier.
Boston Police officer Dennis Simmonds suffered a head injury during a shootout with the Tsarnaev brothers and died almost a year later.
