"Our city would not be where we are today, in the long work of recovery, without the dedicated essential and frontline workers who risked their own health and safety to protect and provide aid to others across professions and boroughs. Our expressions of gratitude will never match their sacrifice, our words never capture their courage.
"More than 75 percent of our city's essential workers come from communities of more color, and throughout the pandemic - from infection to injection - these heroes, their families and their communities saw disproportionate suffering and loss.
"While today is a day to honor their dedication and service to our city down the Canyon of Heroes, our gratitude cannot end there, and must be reflected in policies, practices, and critically, paychecks, as we move forward with a just recovery that would not have been possible without the New Yorkers on the front lines."