North Central Health District

Macon-Bibb County Health Department Honors Local Lives Lost to COVID-19 with Flag Memorial

Posted October 26, 2021 by Michael Hokanson

Macon-Bibb County Health Department (MBCHD) is honoring those our community has lost throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with a flag memorial.

The memorial is meant to recognize, remember, and mourn those we’ve lost throughout Macon-Bibb County due to the virus.

As of early October, 546 Bibb County residents died from COVID-19. A sea of 546 flags now lines the entrance of the new Macon-Bibb County Health Department building, each representing a life lost, illustrating the enormity of the pandemic.

This local memorial is inspired by the white flag memorial installation on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The 695,000 flags stood in the shadow of the Washington Monument for more than two weeks as part of the “In America: Remember” installation by artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg. Thousands of families and visitors walked the rows of flags grieving loved ones who were honored as part of the chilling exhibit. The sea of plastic flags featured handwritten dedications to lost loved ones.

Macon-Bibb County Health Department staff wants to mourn and honor the lives lost to COVID-19 throughout our community and show a symbol of hope. The local flag memorial will be displayed this week in front of the new Macon-Bibb County Health Department building located at 1600 Forsyth Street, Macon, GA.

For more information on COVID-19, including local statistics and reports, visit NCHD52.org/coronavirus.