Media Resources

Contact Information

For Media Inquiries:
Christine Keeves, MPH
christine@markedbycovid.com

Latest News

Marked by COVID Available for COVID Memorial Day & Pandemic Anniversary Coverage

February 2026

As the sixth anniversary of the pandemic lockdowns approaches and COVID Memorial Day (March 2) nears, Marked by COVID's Executive Director Kristin Urquiza is available for on-record comment on:

Grief and long-term bereavement after mass loss
The absence of federal recognition or a permanent national memorial six years into the pandemic
Community-led remembrance: what families built when institutions didn't
COVID orphans, Long COVID, and the pandemic's ongoing inequities (an estimated 17 million Americans are currently living with Long COVID—KFF, 2024)

We're marking the 5th annual COVID Memorial Day with a national vigil on March 2 and a continued drive to collect remembrances for every person lost. Happy to connect reporters with bereaved families for on-record interviews.

Media kit: markedbycovid.com/press
Contact: christine@markedbycovid.com

Los Angeles to Recognize International Long Covid Awareness Day; City Hall to Be Illuminated in Teal

February 23, 2026

The Los Angeles City Council will formally recognize March 15 as International Long Covid Awareness Day on February 24, 2026, with Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez (Council District 13) introducing the commendatory resolution and accompanying motion to illuminate City Hall in teal, the symbolic color of Long Covid. By recognizing International Long Covid Awareness Day, Los Angeles joins the State of California and over 200 cities worldwide in observing March 15 to bring visibility to a condition that remains largely absent from civic planning, public discourse, and policy despite its prevalence.

Marked by COVID Advocates for Comprehensive Vaccine Access Amid Policy Changes

September 2025

Marked by COVID calls for comprehensive vaccine access as new CDC guidelines risk leaving vulnerable communities behind. Our network of COVID-impacted families knows firsthand that protecting high-risk individuals requires broad community immunity, not targeted approaches that may increase transmission to those who need protection most.

The Guardian: What you need to know about COVID vaccines in the US this fall

Remember Everyone Campaign Launches on COVID Memorial Day

March 2025

Today on COVID Memorial Day, Marked by COVID launches the Remember Everyone campaign - a nationwide initiative to collect names, photos, and stories of the more than 1.2 million Americans lost to COVID-19 for the National COVID Memorial.

Remember Everyone Campaign Video | Press Backgrounder

COVID Memorial Day Recognized in 13 States and Over 250 Cities

March 2025

The first Monday in March is now officially recognized as COVID Memorial Day in jurisdictions across the country, creating a national day of remembrance for those lost to the pandemic and commitment to supporting survivors.

One-Pager

About Marked by COVID

Marked by COVID memorializes the pandemic and champions solutions that honor victims, support survivors, and advance the common good. Founded in 2020 after co-founder Kristin Urquiza lost her father Mark to COVID-19, we work through:

National COVID Memorial — Physical monuments paired with augmented reality commemorating 1.2 million personal tributes
Baby Bonds for COVID Orphans — Secured $115M for California's first baby bonds program serving COVID orphans and foster youth
COVID Memorial Day — National day of remembrance on the first Monday in March, recognized in 250+ cities and 13 states
Public Health — Community health education, vaccine access, and Long COVID support in communities most harmed by COVID

Multimedia Resources

Access our complete media library (includes memorial events, family stories, policy work)

Highlights:

National COVID Memorial Stills: LA installation and DC render
National COVID Memorial Video: 12-second clip of the LA Installation
Additional stills and videos, including individual remembrances
Photos of Kristin and family pre-2020
Photos of Kristin's dad's funeral and the Marked by COVID's launch
Photos of Kristin and other COVID grievers honoring their loved ones
Video: Remember Every One Campaign Launch

Additional Media:

B-roll footage of memorial events
Expert commentary from Kristin Urquiza
Family stories and testimonials

Available Interviews

Kristin Urquiza, MPA (she/her)

Co-founder & Executive Director

Kristin is the nation's top disaster equity advocate, with expertise in race, economic, environmental, and health policy affecting vulnerable communities, including disabled individuals and underserved populations. Following her father Mark's death from COVID in June 2020, she co-founded Marked by COVID and catalyzed the community-led COVID justice movement.

Areas of Expertise:

National COVID policy & response
COVID vaccine policy & impact
Economic & disaster equity
COVID bereavement & grief
Baby Bonds implementation
Memorial design and impact

LinkedIn Profile | Downloadable Headshot

COVID-Affected Families

We can connect reporters with families who have been impacted by COVID-19 and are willing to share their stories, including:

Family members who lost loved ones to COVID-19
COVID orphans and their caregivers
Participants in the National COVID Memorial
Advocates for Baby Bonds and policy support

To arrange interviews, please contact Christine Keeves at christine@markedbycovid.com.

Key Initiatives

National COVID Memorial

The National COVID Memorial pairs physical monuments with augmented reality to shift whose stories are elevated in public memory. Honoring all 1.2 million lives requires commemorating at a scale impossible through traditional memorials. Locally-designed monuments serve as portals to the Marked by COVID Lens—an augmented reality experience built from personal photos and tributes contributed by bereaved families.

Key Facts:

Physical monuments & augmented reality memorialize personal tributes from bereaved families
Installations touring communities nationwide
Building toward permanent monuments in Washington DC and all 50 states
20,000+ remembrances collected toward 1.2 million

Baby Bonds for COVID Orphans

More than 350,000 children in the U.S. lost a caregiver to COVID. Baby bonds are seed funding promised to low-income children when they turn 18. We mobilized bereaved families to pass California's HOPE Accounts—the nation's first state baby bonds program, providing $115M for COVID orphans and foster youth.

Current Status:

Secured $115M for California's first baby bonds program
Serving thousands of COVID orphans and foster youth
Kristin serves on California state advisory board
Advising other states on replication

COVID Memorial Day

We secured official recognition of the first Monday in March as COVID Memorial Day in 250+ cities and 13 states. We've introduced bipartisan federal legislation (H.Res.196 and S.Res.94) with Rep. Stanton and Sen. Warren to establish national recognition.

Impact:

Recognized in 13 states officially
Proclaimed in over 250 cities nationwide
5th annual national vigil held March 2, 2026
Federal legislation pending (H.Res.196 and S.Res.94)
Annual vigil draws 1,500+ participants

Remember Every One Campaign

There is no comprehensive record of every person lost to COVID. Remember Every One ensures every COVID victim is remembered. We identify communities hit hardest and invite members to submit free remembrances. Our continued presence at community events, door-to-door canvassing, partnerships with local organizations, and National COVID Memorial installations creates space for communities to heal through commemoration.

Impact: 20,000+ stories collected toward 1.2 million. Community partnerships and grassroots outreach ensure every COVID victim is remembered.

Public Health Education

Black, Brown, Indigenous, and working-class communities experienced COVID death rates 2-3x higher than their white peers. We organize patients, provide health education in underserved communities, and advocate for equitable policies. We've secured wins including free masks and tests, worker protections, and Long COVID research funding.

Impact: Secured free masks, tests, worker protections, and Long COVID research funding. Ongoing community health education demonstrates how community-led responses build healing in communities most harmed by systemic inequities.

Quick Facts & Statistics

U.S. COVID deaths: Over 1.2 million Americans
COVID orphans: 350,000+ children lost primary caregivers
Long Covid: An estimated 17 million Americans currently living with Long COVID (KFF, 2024)
Memorial participation: 20,000+ remembrances collected to date
Policy impact: California Baby Bonds program ($115M) will support approximately 58,500 children
Community engagement: 1,500+ registered for the 2026 COVID Memorial Day Vigil
COVID Memorial Day: Recognized in 13 states and 250+ cities

For additional information or to arrange an interview, please contact Christine Keeves, MPH at christine@markedbycovid.com.

Recent Media Coverage

Our work to memorialize those lost to Covid and support bereaved communities has been featured in media outlets across the country. Here's some recent coverage:

PBS NewsHour | The COVID pandemic's lingering toll, five years later
PBS examines how our National Covid Memorial is creating space for collective grief while pushing for lasting recognition of those we've lost.
The Boston Globe | More than one million Americans have died of Covid. Why are there no national day to remember them?
This piece highlights our advocacy for a federally recognized Covid Memorial Day and the growing momentum as more than 250 cities and 13 states officially recognize this day of remembrance.
Boston University School of Public Health | 'Remember Every One': Memorializing the More Than 1 Million Lives Lost to COVID-19 in the US
An in-depth feature on our Remember Every One initiative showcasing how our memorial is helping communities process grief through remembrance.
WBUR/NPR Boston | People who lost loved ones to COVID continue pushing for a national day of remembrance
This moving segment features stories from our community and explores the importance of having an official day to honor those we've lost to Covid.
WNPR Connecticut | How we remember the COVID-19 pandemic
WNPR's "Where We Live" explores the power of collective memorialization and the work we're doing to ensure no one is forgotten.
The Seattle Times | COVID Stole a Parent from Over 200,000 Children. Indian Country Lost the Most
This powerful piece highlights Covid's impact on Native communities and connects to our HOPE Accounts work providing financial foundations for children who lost parents to Covid.
KYMA Yuma | Advocates push to honor 1.2 million lives lost to COVID-19
Coverage of our memorial tour in Arizona, highlighting how our AR memorial experience is bringing remembrance to communities across the country.
ABC15 Arizona | 5 years ago, the WHO declared COVID a pandemic
Marking the anniversary of the pandemic declaration, this report features our work to ensure those lost are remembered not as statistics, but as individuals with names and stories.
Fi Lowenstein Substack | Five years later, reckoning with denial
A thoughtful reflection examining the ongoing struggle for recognition and justice that drives our mission to memorialize those lost to Covid.