The U.S.'s death toll from the coronavirus crossed 900,000 on Friday, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.
Why it matters: Accelerated by Omicron, the gruesome milestone comes less than two months after the U.S. topped 800,000 COVID deaths.
- The number of people who died from COVID in the U.S. now exceeds the population of Indianapolis, San Francisco or Charlotte, North Carolina, AP notes.
What they're saying: "Today, our nation marks another tragic milestone," President Biden said in a statement. "After nearly two years, I know that the emotional, physical, and psychological weight of this pandemic has been incredibly difficult to bear."
- "But I also know that we carry an incredible capacity within ourselves — not only to come through our grief stronger, but to come together to protect one another."
- "We now have more tools than ever before to save lives and fight this virus — with vaccines remaining our most important tool," he noted.
- "We can save even more lives — and spare countless families from the deepest pain imaginable — if everybody does their part," he added, urging people to get vaccinated and boosted. "It’s free, easy, and effective — and it can save your life, and the lives of those you love."
