More than a dozen sites were illuminated in Boston Tuesday evening in solidarity with cities across the nation memorializing the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. BIDMC is amongst the hospitals and universities in the Longwood Medical Area that participated by illuminating their buildings in an amber hue.

NECN – January 19, 2021

These Boston Sites Are Being Illuminated for the Inaugural COVID-19 Memorial

Boston’s Zakim Bridge lit up as part of a national coronavirus memorial service on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.

More than a dozen sites are being illuminated in Boston Tuesday evening in solidarity with cities across the nation memorializing the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that it would host the COVID-19 Memorial in honor of those who have died from the coronavirus the day before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office.

The committee invited cities and towns around the country to light up their buildings and ring church bells at 5:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 19 in a “national moment of unity and remembrance.” A ceremony was held at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, where Biden delivered his final address as president-elect.

Sites including the Zakim and Longfellow bridges, the TD Garden, University of Massachusetts Boston, the Government Center MBTA Headhouse, the Government Center T and the Eversource Dorchester Gas tanks were expected to light up at 5:30 p.m.

Additionally, the following hospitals and universities in the Longwood Medical Area are participating by illuminating their buildings in an amber hue.

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Shapiro Building at 364 Brookline Ave)
  • Brigham & Women’s Hospital (Columns at 15 Francis Street)
  • Boston Children’s Hospital (Traffic Circle at 300 Longwood Ave)
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Healing Garden at 450 Brookline Ave)
  • Harvard Medical School (Gordon Hall Building at 25 Shattuck St — best view will likely be from the quad off Longwood Ave)  
  • Emmanuel College (Main Administration Building at 400 The Fenway)
  • MassArt (Design and Media Center at 621 Huntington Ave)
  • Simmons University (Main Campus Building at 300 The Fenway) These institutions are all members of MASCO, a non-profit that provides programs and services in the Longwood Area.

Meanwhile, signs that Boston is on alert ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as the nation’s 46th president were increasingly visible on Monday.

The Massachusetts National Guard staged behind the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and access to the State House was restricted after being nearly closed off entirely on Sunday.

Todd McGhee, a retired state trooper who runs his own security firm, pointed to the mob of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol nearly two weeks ago, many of whom had come from a rally held by President Donald Trump. The incident left five people dead and interrupted the peaceful transition of power after an election with no sign of widespread voter fraud.

“We don’t ever want to get caught short, we don’t ever want to be in a situation where we’re unprepared. We saw what unpreparedness look like on Jan. 6,” McGhee said.

Based on intelligence gained in the wake of the attack, the FBI warned of armed protests at state capitols around the country, which is why barricades have been put up on Beacon Hill and Gov. Charlie Baker activated up to 500 members of the National Guard.

While the FBI has cautioned that there are no specific threats known against the Massachusetts State House, McGhee said the possibility is real and all necessary precautions must be taken.

Additional coverage: WCVB Channel 5 – Boston landmarks lit up as part of nationwide tribute to COVID-19 victims in US