Ceremonies on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks looked different this year amid a pandemic that has unmistakably altered American rituals.
As flags flew at half-staff Friday at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 victims, this year’s ceremony was marked by harrowing loss and coronavirus precautions.
Attendees around the site wore masks, greeted each other with elbow bumps rather than handshakes and stood 6 feet apart.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden attended the ceremony at ground zero.
The solemn, hourslong ceremony, which was televised, also changed one tradition: Instead of relatives reading the names of the dead, a recording of the names was played on speakers around the vast plaza — a plan that memorial leaders felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died.
Families who attend, as in previous years, have exclusive access to the museum on Sept. 11. The outside memorial and the museum closed in mid-March, and only the memorial reopened in July.
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden are expected to attend the ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania later on Friday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.