900,000 American lives have been lost to COVID-19
The U.S. has hit more than 900,000 deaths from COVID-19 fueled partly by the wildly contagious omicron variant.
The tragic milestone comes more than 13 months into a vaccination drive that has been beset by misinformation and political and legal strife.
Despite its wealth and world-class medical institutions, the US has the highest reported toll of any country, described by health experts as “an astronomically high number.”
Praying for the Americans who lost their lives to the virus, President Biden said that the nation carries “an incredible capacity” to come out stronger through the grief to protect one another.
“We now have more tools than ever before to save lives and fight this virus — with vaccines remaining our most important tool. Vaccines and boosters have proven incredibly effective, and offer the highest level of protection,” he said.
Biden urged all Americans to get vaccinated, get their kids vaccinated, and get their booster shot if eligible, saying “It’s free, easy, and effective — and it can save your life, and the lives of those you love.”
The new cases are gradually declining but deaths are being reported at more than 2,400 per day on average, the most since last winter.
Nearly 64 percent of Americans, or about 212 million people, are fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
