The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Manhattan, on the foundation where the World Trade Center once stood, will not be doing a tribute this year to honor the victims of the 2001 terror attacks.
Organizers said the decision not to project blue lights into the sky to mark the 19th anniversary of the attack is because of concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The world’s beloved twin beams of light regrettably will not shine over Lower Manhattan as part of this year’s tributes,” Michael Frazier, a memorial and museum spokesman, said in a statement. “This incredibly difficult decision was reached in consultation with our partners after concluding the health risks during the pandemic were far too great for the large crew required to produce the annual Tribute in Light.”
Preparation for the tribute requires nearly 40 stagehands and electricians working in close proximity for more than a week, according to the New York Times. The display consists of 88 specially made Space Cannon lights, each with a 7,000-watt xenon compressed gas bulb.
The museum’s director had already said in July that this year’s commemoration would not have relatives on stage during a name-reading of the victims who died in the 9/11 attacks and 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
The tribute was first conducted on March 11, 2002, six months after the Sept. 11 attacks.
