New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday a monument will be constructed to honor the service and sacrifice of essential workers across the state throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There can be no way to ever fully repay the essential workers who aided in our recovery from this devastating, once-in-a-century pandemic," Governor Cuomo said. "These true heroes continue to aid and inspire us and they have our utmost respect. To honor them, we want them to create a monument to stand for all time as New York emerges tougher and stronger than ever." The state says it will be called the "Essential Workers Monument" and will recognize 17 essential worker groups: Nurses, Doctors, Hospital Staff, Teachers, Transport Workers, Police, Ambulance/EMT, Firefighters, Corrections, Sanitation, National Guard, Store Employees, Government Employees, Building Service Workers, Utility Workers, Delivery Drivers, and Construction/Manufacturing.