Americans make low-key Memorial Day tributes, coronavirus overshadowing events

People wearing protective masks watch the Memorial Day parade following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Staten Island borough of New York U.S., May 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans paid a low-key tribute to those who died serving in the U.S. Armed Forces on Monday, with many Memorial Day events canceled because of the coronavirus epidemic that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States alone.

In some places, scaled-down ceremonies were broadcast over the internet, as shutdowns to curb the spread of the virus put a damper on what is usually a day of flag-waving parades and crowds celebrating the unofficial start of the U.S. summer.