COVID Deaths hit Tragic 1 Million milestone in U.S. 

As we reached the tragic milestone of one million people who have lost their lives to COVID in the United States, President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19. 

Biden ordered flags lowered to halfstaff to honor those who lost their lives to the virus and warned leaders against “complacency” around the globe. “This pandemic isn’t over,” said Biden as he addressed the second global pandemic summit held last week. 

“Today, we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States, 1 million COVID deaths — 1 million empty chairs around the family dinner table.”

According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, since it emerged in late 2019, the coronavirus has killed more than 999,909 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally. 

The president called on Congress to provide more funding for testing, vaccines, and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far. The lack of funding — Biden has requested another $22.5 billion of what he calls critically needed money — is a reflection of faltering resolve at home that jeopardizes the global response to the pandemic.