9/11 anniversary will be different this year due to the coronavirus

9/11 anniversary will be different this year due to the coronavirus

A wilting rose is left in remembrance of those lost before the memorial observances held at the site of the World Trade Center in New York, Sept. 11, 2014. This year marks the 13th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and on Flight 93. (AP Photo/POOL, Andrew Burton)

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has reshaped how the U.S. is observing the anniversary of 9/11. The terror attacks’ 19th anniversary will be marked Friday by dueling ceremonies at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza and a corner nearby in New York. Vice President Mike Pence is expected at both remembrances. The two ceremonies reflect a divide over how to observe the anniversary in a time of social distancing. The double beams of light that evoke the fallen twin towers were nearly canceled because of virus concerns, until an uproar sparked a change of heart.

(Photo: AP Images)