„Hometown Heroes“
:
Grand Parade in New York honors systemically important professions
–
Confetti rains down Broadway in New York’s Financial District during a parade honoring people in systemic professions.
Photo: AP/Mary Altaffer
–
–
New York Doctors, nursing staff, suppliers, subway drivers: New York has honored the employees of systemically important industries in the corona pandemic with a large parade. Many spectators cheered them in the scorching heat.
Representatives of the various systemically relevant professional groups marched on Broadway on Wednesday and were celebrated as “heroes” by the residents of the metropolis on the US east coast. The honorary leader of the parade was the nurse Sandra Lindsay from Queens. She was the first person in the United States to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
–
The route of the parade led through the skyscraper-lined “Canyon of Heroes”, from whose windows the confetti trickled on many heroes in the past – from Charles Lindbergh after his first transatlantic flight to the women’s national soccer team after their last victory. Large numbers of people gathered on the side of the road to express their gratitude to those who provided for the city during the worst pandemic times.
–
“These often unrecognized everyday workers literally saved our lives,” said New Yorker Melinda Mlinac. She came to thank them. Words of thanks alone are not enough – the professional groups must also receive higher wages.
–
“They are the real heroes,” said medic Yomaris Pena. “The bus drivers, the subway drivers, the people who cleaned the hospitals, the nurses, the grocery store workers.”
–
New York was the epicenter of the corona pandemic in the United States last spring, with more than 33,000 people dying in the metropolis. With a tough lockdown, the situation was finally brought under control. In view of the sharp drop in the number of infections and the progress made in the vaccination campaign, the corona restrictions have now largely been lifted.
–
In large parts of the USA, everyday life has now returned – however, the number of infections has recently increased again. On a seven-day average, the number of new infections each day was last at just under 14,000, an increase of 21 percent compared to two weeks ago. The delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for more than 50 percent of infections in the USA, according to the CDC.
–
The authorities are concerned about the stalled vaccination campaign. The United States missed the goal announced by President Joe Biden that 70 percent of adults should have received at least one dose of vaccine by Independence Day on July 4th. The share is currently just over 67 percent. The number of infections is currently rising, particularly in regions with low vaccination rates, such as in the south and the Midwest.
–
– .
