Biden says 1 mln American lives lost to COVID-19 "a tragic milestone"

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone."

In a White House statement issued early in the morning, Biden said "Each an irreplaceable loss."

"Each leaving behind a family, a community, and a nation forever changed because of this pandemic," Biden said, urging the United States not to grow numb to such sorrow but to "remain vigilant against this pandemic."

Biden also called for efforts to "do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines, and treatments than ever before."

"It's critical that Congress sustain these resources in the coming months," he added.

The latest data from Johns Hopkins University showed that the total number of COVID-19 cases reported across the United States has topped 82 million, also the highest in the world. ■

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

A U.S. national flag flies at half-staff at the White House to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

A U.S. national flag flies at half-staff at the White House to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. national flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

A U.S. national flag flies at half-staff at the White House to mourn 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 12, 2022. Commemorating 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, the highest in the world, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the number as "a tragic milestone." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)