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Memorial Day events facing fewer restrictions this year

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Americans will be able to pay Memorial Day tributes to fallen troops on Monday in ways that were impossible last year, when virus restrictions were in effect in many places.

It will also be a day to remember the tens of thousands of veterans who died from COVID-19, and to recommit to vaccinating those who remain reluctant. Department of Veterans Affairs data shows more than 12,000 vets have died and more than 2.5 million have been inoculated. 

The isolation of the pandemic has also been particularly hard on veterans, many of whom depend on kinship with fellow service members to cope with wartime trauma, says Jeremy Butler, a 47-year-old Navy Reserve officer in New York who heads the advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

“We’re reuniting now, but it’s been an extremely challenging year,” he said. “To have those connections cut off ... those are so important to maintaining mental health.”

Today's numbers: The U.S. has more than 33 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 594,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: Over 170 million cases and 3.5 million deaths. More than 134 million Americans have been fully vaccinated – 40.5% of the population.

Source Code : https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/05/30/covid-news-kate-middleton-vaccinated-cemetery-restrictions-lifted/5269469001/

John Spacey

John Spacey