Ribbons of loss

Cathy Tobias, 67, poses as she looks at her courtyard which has turned into a memorial for Covid-19 victims, in Anna Maria Island, Florida, on March 1, 2021. — When Cathy Tobias began tying a ribbon to a rope for each Covid-19 death in Florida, she had no idea her entire patio would end up being draped in color. The eye-catching tribute to those who have died in the Sunshine State during the pandemic crisscrosses her patio, weaves across stairs and onto a balcony at her home on Anna Maria Island, a small community on Florida's Gulf coast. There are now more than 30,000 ribbons in all colors of the rainbow — from pale pink to crimson to neon green. Sitting on a porch with a neighbor who has helped her create the memorial, Tobias said she began to tie the ribbons because she wanted to visualize the death toll.