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COVID-19 has spread more heartache — this time on the 19th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Family members will not read the names of their fallen loved ones at this year’s ceremony in Manhattan, according to an invitation sent to 9/11 next-of-kin and obtained by The Post.

Instead, the ceremony will play a recording of a past name-reading.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which sent the invite, said the move comes “out of an abundance of caution.”

“As we continue to develop plans for this year’s 9/11 anniversary, our hope is to gather on the Memorial plaza, adhering to state and federal guidelines as they relate to social distancing and public gatherings,” reads the missive from Alice M. Greenwald, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

“As in years past, the focus of the commemoration will be the reading of the names. … we will not ask family members to read the names of victims in person on a stage this year. Instead, we will use recorded name readings from the Museum’s ‘In Memoriam’ exhibition to ensure that your loved one is recognized and remembered.”

FDNY retired Lt. Jim McCaffrey, whose brother-in-law, Battalion Chief Orio Palmer, was killed on 9/11, is glad the tradition will continue in some form amid the pandemic.

“It won’t be the same, but at least the names will be mentioned,” McCaffrey said. “This was an attack on America. People need to remember that. So many people have already forgotten the sacrifice exhibited that day.”

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A woman reading victim's names on September 11, 2018.
A woman reading victim's names on September 11, 2018.Getty Images
A boy holds a photo of a 9/11 victim.
A boy holds a photo of a 9/11 victim.REUTERS
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A woman at the memorial site.
A woman at the memorial site.Xinhua News Agency via Getty Ima
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The ceremony still plans to observe six moments of silence, commemorating the exact time each of the World Trade Center towers was struck and fell, and the attack on the Pentagon and crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

The program will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the first moment of silence will be observed at 8:46 a.m. Houses of worship will be encouraged to toll their bells at that time.

“Like many other institutions, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation presented by COVID-19 and are planning accordingly to ensure safety while maintaining our mission to honor the victims and those who risked their lives to save others,” Greenwald wrote.

Earlier this month, President Trump announced a $2 million grant to help fund the 9/11 memorial, which reopened July 4. The museum remains closed.

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