COVID-19 has now claimed 1 million lives in US, says President Biden

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) – The more than two-year COVID-19 pandemic in the US has so far claimed one million lives, said President Joe Biden on Thursday.

The country "marks a tragic milestone and each was an irreplaceable loss," Biden said in a statement.

Each life lost left behind “a family, a community, and a nation forever changed because of this pandemic. Jill and I pray for each of them," he added, referring to the first lady.

Calling on Americans to "remain vigilant against this pandemic," he said it is "critical" that Congress sustain resources, including testing, vaccines, and treatments in the coming months.

While marking the landmark losses, the statement also come amid Biden’s fight for Congress to pass more money for COVID prevention and treatment, in the US and abroad, an effort that is currently stalled.

Since December 2019, the coronavirus has claimed over 6.25 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with over 519 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US' Johns Hopkins University.