With a minute of silence, with 500 lit candles, on the steps of the White House, the President of the United States of America (USA) Joseph Biden and the first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband paid tribute to the 500.000 Americans who died of the coronavirus last night. Biden previously addressed the nation regarding the grim number of victims of the pandemic, Voice of America reports.
"Today we mark a grim, horrific moment - 500.071 dead. More Americans have died in one year of this pandemic than in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined," the US president said.
Biden said the US has lost more lives to this virus than any other nation in the world.
He said that as a nation they cannot accept such a cruel fate, and that they must not become numb to grief even though they have been fighting the pandemic for a long time.
Biden also urged Americans to continue to wear masks, follow social distancing rules and get vaccinated when it's their turn.
"We must end the policy of misinformation that has divided families, communities and the country. It has already cost the country too many lives. We must fight together — as one people, as the United States of America," Biden said.
The US president ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on public buildings until dusk on February 26.
The bells at the National Cathedral rang 500 times on Monday, in mourning for the dead.
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