Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced sad family news today. She revealed via her Twitter account today that her 64-year-old sister Mercia Bowser has passed from the COVID-19 virus.
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“My family and I are mourning the loss of my sister, Mercia Bowser, who passed away this morning due to complications related to COVID-19. Mercia was loved immensely and will be missed greatly, as she joins the legion of angels who have gone home too soon due to the pandemic.”
According to The Washington Post, Mercia was the oldest of the Bowser siblings who grew up in Washington, D.C. She and Muriel were the family’s only two daughters. Mercia was a graduate of Fisk University, who spent her lifetime working with children, those with mental health disorders, and the elderly via the D.C. Office on Aging and Catholic Charities, the Post reported. Both sisters followed their father, Joe Bowser, into a life of service, the outlet said.
Bowser, 48, Washington, D.C.’s mayor since 2015, and her family join the hundreds of thousands of Americans mourning family members lost to the virus since it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11 last year.
Earlier today, Muriel confirmed 1,000 lives lost to the COVID-19 virus in the District alone. The first case in the District was recorded on March 7, per the Post. The neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia have reported fatalities of more than 7500 people.
Bowser announced today as a day of remembrance in the nation’s capital, asking the city’s religious institutions to pay tribute to the lives lost. She also asked that flags on city property fly at half-mast the rest of the week to honor the nationwide total that now sits at over half a million people.
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“These beautiful souls who passed were grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins, neighbors, classmates, colleagues, friends and loved ones,” Bowser said at a press conference. “Today, we pray for the lives lost and send our love to every person and family impacted by this virus and commit ourselves to continuing to work together.”
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