New York City mass burials of COVID-19 victims in Hart Island

New York City mass burials of COVID-19 victims in Hart Island

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NEW YROK - Vincent Mingalone, a florist who who worked on the burial detail in Hart Island until mid February, narrates Hart Island burials performed on April 2, 2020.

As NYC’s daily death rates of COVID-19 tragically surge, the city turns to Hart Island for mass burials of bodies which are not claimed for two weeks.

Hart Island typically has been and continues to be a burial site for those who have not been claimed by family members and Hart Island's usual employees are prisoners from Riker’s Island.

As New York City’s daily COVID-19 death rates tragically surgeThe city turns to Hart Island for mass burials of COVID-19 victims who are not claimed for two weeksHart Island typically a burial site for those not claimed by family membersVincent Mingalone who once worked in Hart Island until mid Februarynarrates the burials on April 2, 2020Heaviest day I do about 24 burialsAnd we knew we were the only one there for these peopleYou know it always treat me there is so many storiesWe didn’t know this person, we didn’t see this person inside the boxAll we know is a name and the date of deathWe always wonder this person served me coffeeor this person a janitor of a buildingWhat this person do in life that they are round up here aloneWe did the best we could with dignityWe handle the body carefullyYou know it is a labour job don’t get me wrongDon’t drop, don’t slamp, don’t throwWe kind of gentlely we did our jobI must say we did take pride in what we did