Pandemic rules mean no live family tributes at 9/11 memorial

Posted: Jul 26, 2020 / 05:31 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 26, 2020 / 05:32 PM EDT

FILE- In this May 15, 2015 file photo, visitors gather near the pools at the 9/11 Memorial in New York. As they have done 17 times before, a crowd of victims’ relatives is expected at the site on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 to observe the anniversary the deadliest terror attack on American soil. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — The ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack will not include one of the most poignant parts of previous memorials — the personal messages spoken by families of victims.

That decision was made because of coronavirus pandemic guidelines. In a letter to family members, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum said recorded names will be used instead of having family members read them in person. But family members will still be invited to gather at the memorial plaza in lower Manhattan for an event adhering to social distancing guidance.