Joe Biden’s message after US surpasses half a million COVID-19 deaths

United States President Joe Biden sent this Friday a message of condolence to the nation after breaking through the symbolic grim barrier of half a million deaths from COVID-19.

Through his Twitter account, the president said: “500,000 lives lost due to COVID-19. It’s an immeasurable number, but each one represents a family that will never be whole again. To those who have lost loved ones: I know there are no words that can ease the pain, but I hope you find some comfort in knowing that the nation is grieving with you.“.

The Democratic administration also ordered that flags fly at half mast to commemorate and honor those who have died of illness.

A few minutes after 6 p.m. EST, Biden delivered a televised message about it. “In order to heal, we have to remember those who are not, this is how we heal. And it’s important that we do it as a nation“, started.

Then, in an evening of reference to the losses he suffered throughout his life – his first wife and daughter died in 1972 and his son Beau in 2015 – he detailed: “To those who have lost people. dear, this is what i will always be part of your heart. They never go away completely. The time will come when the memory of someone brings them a smile rather than a tear. There they will know they are doing well“.

The president closed his message with a new call to wear masks, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated. “This is not a political issue, we have to fight this as a united people, it is the only way to avoid more pain and more loss.», He concluded.

After delivering the message, Biden and wife Jill, Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff led a candle-lighting ceremony, also to honor the victims.

The leading US contagious disease specialist, Anthony Fauci, spoke on the issue earlier in the morning. “Half a million dead is terrible. It’s historic. We haven’t seen anything like it since the 1918 flu, ”he said in an interview with the network. NBC.

In addition, the pace of vaccines is on the rise, with more than 61 million doses administered to date, according to a state-by-state tally. Figures show 5.7% of Americans have already received the two corresponding doses.

However, according to Fauci’s projections, between 70 and 85 percent of the U.S. population would need to receive the vaccine for herd immunity to be effective.

Faced with this drop in the incidence of the virus, some state authorities have decided to relax some of the restrictions in force, which experts have already warned about, in particular because of the danger of the spread of new strains of COVID-19, more contagious.

The United States remains the country hardest hit by the global pandemic, followed by India for the number of cases, which accumulates 10,991,651 infected, and Brazil for the number of deaths, which totals 246,504.

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