Biden to order federal flags to fly at half-staff as the U.S. Covid toll nears one million. & More News Here

President Biden, anticipating the grim milestone of one million American lives misplaced to Covid-19, mentioned in a proper assertion on Thursday that the United States should keep dedicated to preventing a virus that has “forever changed” the nation.

“We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines and treatments than ever before,” he mentioned. “It’s critical that Congress sustain these resources in the coming months.”

The assertion got here hours earlier than Mr. Biden is to convene his second Covid-19 summit, aimed at injecting new urgency into the world coronavirus response. Mr. Biden can even challenge a proclamation on Thursday ordering flags at the White House and all federal buildings to be flown at half-staff till subsequent Monday to mark the one million deaths.

As of Wednesday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported greater than 995,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States; a New York Times database put the determine at greater than 997,000. But with heads of state, leaders of philanthropies and drug makers attending the digital gathering, Mr. Biden was prepared to mark the coming second.

Well into the pandemic’s third yr, Covid-19 has turn out to be the third main reason for loss of life amongst Americans, behind solely coronary heart illness and most cancers. Its toll has prolonged deep into the lives of households throughout the United States. An estimated 250,000 kids have misplaced mother and father or caregivers to Covid-19; of these, practically 200,000 have misplaced one or each mother and father.

The pandemic has additionally outlined the Biden presidency. Mr. Biden got here into workplace vowing to conquer Covid-19, however hopes of attaining “herd immunity” by way of the mixture of vaccination and publicity gave approach to the harsh realization that vaccines’ protecting energy towards an infection might wane and that new variants made reinfection extra widespread. Political divisions have thwarted masks and vaccine mandates.

Thursday’s assembly is an effort by the president to put Covid-19 again on the radar display, each in the United States and round the globe. The White House has requested Congress for $22.5 billion in new emergency coronavirus assist, however the request is stalled on Capitol Hill, as is a compromise proposal for $10 billion in assist.

Senior Biden administration officers mentioned Mr. Biden would use the summit to make a brand new plea for Congress to authorize the cash.