WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Friday, May 1, the City of West Hollywood announced plans for first responders and residents to celebrate frontline nurses and healthcare workers on Wednesday, May 6 – National Nurses Day.
National Nurses Day signifies the start of National Nurses Week, a 7-day observance to raise awareness about and educate the public on the importance of nursing and the part nurses play in American healthcare. The birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, marks the commemoration‘s end date on May 12.
City of West Hollywood Councilmember John Heilman noted that “as the worldwide response to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) continues, the critical importance of nurses in our society has been brought sharply into focus.”
City of West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore Lindsey P. Horvath reiterated Heilman’s words when she stated that “the coronavirus pandemic has reminded us just how critical their (the nurses’ and healthcare workers’) work is to our everyday health and safety.”
The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station will coordinate 2 motorcades to honor healthcare workers on Wednesday, May 6 at 9:45 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. They will begin on Santa Monica Boulevard at La Cienega Boulevard, journey southbound on N. San Vincente Boulevard, and end outside the emergency room entrance of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. First responders will temporarily halt, exit their vehicles, and applaud all healthcare workers while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
The City encourages all residents to partake in the celebrations while complying with social distancing requirements and LA County Safer At Home Orders. Suggested ways to participate include making yard and window signs and banners, donating to organizations that provide assistance to healthcare workers during the pandemic, and raising awareness about the event on social media.
Horvath also called nurses and healthcare workers “nothing short of heroes” and said that “this National Nurses Day means so much more to all of us.”
As of Thursday, April 30, there are 137 COVID-19 cases in total in West Hollywood.
