US President Joe Biden ordered that American flags fly at half-mast on Thursday when he marked a milestone of one million dead to Covid-19 in the country.
“One million empty chairs around the dinner table. Each an irreplaceable loss,” he said in a statement released by the White House.
“Each leaving behind a family, a community and a nation forever changed because of this pandemic.”
Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted: “We remember and honour those lost to this virus. I send my prayers to the loved ones who have endured such pain during this pandemic.”
The US leads the world in recorded deaths, although most counts around the world are expected to be undercounts.
The director general of the World Health Organisation also sent his condolences for the event, which occurred on the same day the US hosted a second online global Covid summit.
“I offer my deep condolences to all Americans, especially those who have lost someone they love,” he tweeted.
A bipartisan group of congressional leaders, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, held a moment of silence on the front steps of the US Capitol on Thursday afternoon.
“A million people have died. It’s such a terrible toll,” Ms Pelosi in remarks earlier in the day.
“And when you think of what it means in the lives of those families. So, we send, of course, our condolences to the families, the children, the siblings, the friends, the colleagues, the spouses of those lost as the heartbreak continues.”
She used the milestone to push for Covid funding that has stalled in Congress, which the White House also claims as one of its highest priorities.
Despite the grim milestone and as many American look to return to normal life, cases and hospital admissions are increasing as Omicron sub-variants gain a hold in the US.
“A heartbreaking milestone: one million lives lost to Covid-19. We can't become numb to such loss,” US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy tweeted.
“Instead, let's honour them by recommitting to protecting our communities from Covid.”
-
Italian sculptor Sergio Furnari poses for pictures in front of 'The Hero Monument' heart sculpture on October 25, 2021, in New York. AP -
The Washington Monument where US President Joe Biden hosts a memorial to honour those who died from Covid-19 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, January 19, 2021. Reuters -
A woman takes selfies with her daughter in front of 'The Hero Monument' in New York. AP -
Italian sculptor Sergio Furnari stands next to his car near 'The Hero Monument' sculpture in Manhattan, New York. AP -
Christopher Edwards holds up a memorial to those who died from Covid-19, including his grandmother, Brenda Meadows, in Washington, May 5, 2021. AFP -
A woman and child look at the 'Naming the Lost Memorials' at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Reuters -
Faces of victims of Covid-19 are projected on to the Brooklyn Bridge on March 14, 2021, in New York. Getty Images via AFP -
Artist Suzanne Firstenberg's temporary art installation, 'In America: Remember' in Washington, September 17, 2021. AP -
A cyclist rides past the 'In America: Remember' memorial. Reuters -
One of the flags that make up the 'In America: Remember' installation. AP -
Visitors mourn at the 'In America: Remember' memorial. AP -
The memorial with the Washington Monument in the background. AP -
An aerial view of the memorial. AP -
A flag with a message for a loved one. AP -
The installation consisted of more than 600,000 flags. AP -
A mourner visits the memorial. AP -
A visitor sits on a bench near the memorial. AP -
Two people hug as they look at the thousands of white flags. Reuters -
Part of artist Suzanne Firstenberg's temporary art installation. AP -
Hundreds of Covid survivors march across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, August 7, 2021, in New York. AP -
A woman holds an image of her husband as hundreds of Covid survivors gather at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn. AP -
A sign at a Covid survivors' march in New York. AP -
US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive for a memorial for victims of Covid-19 in Washington. Getty Images / AFP -
The Washington Covid-19 Memorial. Photo: National Parks Service -
The Washington Covid-19 Memorial. Photo: National Parks Service
