President Joe Biden marked the bleak milestone of 500,000 lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic in a brief but heartbreaking speech to the nation on Monday night, using his own personal tragedies as a rhetorical remedy for a country still struggling with the deadly disease.
“There are more Americans who died in a year in this pandemic than in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined. That means more lives lost to this virus than any other nation on Earth,” said Biden. “But as we recognize the scale of this mass death in America, we remember each person and the life they lived.”
The president said he keeps a card in his pocket every day with a count of people who died from Covid-19.
“The people we lost were extraordinary,” said Biden. “We have to resist becoming insensitive to sadness.”
While Biden highlighted the hundreds of thousands of people killed, he also urged Americans to remember those who are still suffering from having lost loved ones.
Biden, who often takes advantage of his personal losses in addressing national tragedies, compared his sadness to what he experienced after the deaths of his first wife and daughter, as well as his eldest son, Beau.
“I know what it’s like not to be there when that happens,” he said. “I know what it’s like when you’re there, holding your hands, looking them in the eye as they escape.”
“This is how you heal, you have to remember. The day will come when the memory of the loved one you lost will bring a smile to your lips before a tear in your eyes,” he added, saying “for me the way through sadness and grief must find a purpose. “
Cases of the new Covid-19 continued to plummet after a post-holiday peak. The United States reported more than 100,000 new cases daily in just one of the past 14 days, a month after the regular number of more than 200,000 new cases, according to data from NBC News. Daily deaths are also decreasing, but more slowly, still regularly eclipsing 2,000.
Before Biden finished his speech, he joined the first lady, Vice President Kamala Harris and the second gentleman for a moment of silence. They were surrounded by 500 candles, each representing 1,000 lives lost to Covid-19. While the president lowered his head, the Navy band’s brass ensemble played Amazing Grace. After the song ended, Biden crossed himself and the employees reentered the White House.
Biden ended his comments by urging Americans to work together to defeat the virus, following public health guidelines such as social detachment and wearing masks.
“We need to end the policy and disinformation that divided families and communities in this country,” said Biden. This virus does not affect Democrats or Republicans, he added, but all of our American citizens.
“May this not be a story of how far we have fallen, but how far we have risen,” said Biden.
