Flags are at half staff this week following an order issued by President Joe Biden on Monday, Feb. 22 to honor and remember the 500,000 Americans who died because of the COVID-19 pandemic. American flags will remain at half staff until Friday, Feb. 26 at sunset.
“We as a nation must remember those who passed, so we can begin to heal, to unite, and find purpose as one nation to defeat the pandemic,” he said, adding more Americans have died of COVID-19 than in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined.
Hamden venues took part in the occasion, such as the Hamden Town Hall and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on Whitney Avenue. Citizens said they took notice and hope others will as well.
“I think it will alert people to go get vaccinated and do more to fight the virus,” said 63-year old Hamden resident Celia Dievert.
Dievert said that she has already signed up to get the vaccine and is currently waiting to receive her first dose.
With almost 900,000 vaccines administered in Connecticut, the state has already used 87% of the vaccines shipped to them by national distributors, yet only eight percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated.
Deb Von Tel, who has lived in Hamden for 17 years, said she thinks Connecticut has done well with vaccine distribution.
“I think Connecticut is doing very well with vaccine distribution,” Von Tel, 64, said. “I liked that Lamont did it by age, I thought that was smart. I think it gets the high risk people out of the way first and helps keep our hospitals less cluttered.”
Educators and child care providers will be eligible for the vaccine starting on March 1 when the second phase begins. Also eligible will be those age 55 and over. With phase one nearly over, there are some Hamden residents who feel the first wave of vaccines was a success.
Quinnipiac University also half-staffed all of its flags in accordance with the proclamation. However, not all students have noticed.
“I didn’t know we were doing that,” said Scott Wilcox, a senior engineering student. “I like it. I think flying the flags at half-staff is something we do to show respect during a tragic event, and the loss of 500,000 people is a tragic event.”
As of February, the U.S. is reporting a decline in average new daily infections, which dropped below 100,000 for the first time since November. The flag will be flown at half-staff until Friday, but with new variant strains continuing to circulate, Americans will have to remain vigilant to prevent the flags from flying at half-staff again.
