White House officially marks 1 million US deaths from COVID and prompts Congress for more funding

The Biden administration on Thursday mourned 1 million US deaths from COVID-19, using the opportunity to again urge Congress to pass additional funding to control the pandemic.

While other official tallies have placed the figure slightly below that mark, the administration marked that moment during the second COVID summit, more than two years after the pandemic ravaged the nation.

“A million empty chairs around the dining table. each irreparable loss. A family, a community and a nation are forever changed because of this pandemic,” President Joe Biden said in a statement, adding that he and First Lady Jill Biden “pray for each of them.”

“As a nation, we should not panic with such misery. In order to heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything possible to save as many lives as possible, as we have more tests, vaccines and treatments than ever before,” Biden wrote. “It is important that Congress maintains these resources in the months to come.”

Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to mark the occasion.

The White House is hosting a virtual global COVID-19 summit on Thursday that aims to “redouble” efforts to control COVID-19 and prepare the world for future forms of the coronavirus or the next deadly pandemic , two senior administration officials said.

The event, which is also co-hosted by Germany, Indonesia, Senegal and Belize, will call on countries to invest in the new Global Pandemic Preparedness and Health Protection Fund at the World Bank, and the United States will announce its pledge. $450 million increased from the initially promised amount to $450 million. The summit will also highlight an additional $3.1 billion in new funding commitments from countries around the world to combat COVID-19.

But as Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other cabinet-level officials attend Thursday’s summit, which will urge other wealthy countries to ramp up their coronavirus relief efforts in support of poorer countries, Congress of the Biden administration Efforts to secure further funding to support coronavirus relief efforts will be front and center.

A senior official said administration officials would issue a “loud call” to Congress on Thursday to act and “take immediate action, not empty words”.

“If America is to remain a leader – protecting Americans and the world from the dangers of dangerous disease – we need Congress to act now to provide more funding for the COVID response,” the second official said. said another officer.