COVID-19 flag vigil at MultiCare

The staff at MultiCare Valley Hospital wanted to remember the 1400 patients who died from COVID-19 in our region, so they place 1400 blue flags at MultiCare Valley, Deaconess and Rockwood Clinic and held a two-hour vigil Monday evening.

Section:Gallery

Mon., Aug. 22, 2022

Julie Goyette plants some of the 1400 flags placed outside Multicare Deaconess Hospital, Rockwood Clinic and Multicare Valley Hospital to honor the 1400 people who died of COVID in the Spokane area. A vigil took place at Valley Hospital Monday evening, from 6-8 p.m.

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Gregory Repetti, the president of MultiCare Inland Northwest Hospitals, says a few words at a vigil for the 1400 people who died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The small blue flags will stand around MultiCare Deaconess, MultiCare Rockwood and MultiCare Valley through the end of the week.

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Hospital Chaplain Bill Strunk talks to the crowd gathered for a vigil at MultiCare Valley Hospital Monday, Aug. 22, 2022. Hospital staff planted 700 blue flags around the hospital grounds, and 700 more at MultiCare Deaconess and Rockwood Clinic, in remembrance of rhe 1400 who have died from COVID-19. People gathered at the hospital wrote messages or the names of loved ones on flags, which will remain through the week.

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Brandon Franck, whose wife is a nurse at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital, helps line the walkways at Deaconess Hospital with blue flags, each representing a Spokane person who has died of COVID-19, shown Monday, Aug. 22, 2022. MultiCare Deaconess, Multicare Valley and MultiCare Rockwood together put out 1400 flags at their three facilities, representing the 1400 deaths in the Spokane area from COVID-19. A vigil was held at MultiCare Valley Hospital from 6-8 p.m. Monday evening.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Nurses Emily Calabro, left, and Lindsae Gonzales, behind, plant some of the 1400 flags placed outside Multicare Deaconess Hospital, Rockwood Clinic and Multicare Valley Hospital to honor the 1400 people who died of COVID in the Spokane area. A vigil took place at Valley Hospital Monday evening, from 6-8 p.m.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo