USA, New York: ”Burials On New York Island Are Not New, But Are Increasing During Pandemic”

The drone footage and photos circulating on social media show what appears to be the unthinkable: Mass graves on a New York City island as the city struggles in the throes of a pandemic.

But city officials say the shocking images only tell a partial story: Hart Island — located just off the coast of the Bronx — has been used for more than 150 years as a place to bury the city’s unidentified or unclaimed dead, or those whose families can’t pay for a burial.