1 Million Lives Lost To COVID-19 In U.S.: 'Unthinkable Milestone'

LONG ISLAND, NY — On Thursday, the United States reached a grim milestone: One million lives lost to COVID-19 nationwide.

President Joe Biden reflected. "One million empty chairs around the dinner table. Each an irreplaceable loss. Each leaving behind a family, a community, and a nation forever changed because of this pandemic. Jill and I pray for each of them," he said.

Biden added: " I know the pain of that black hole in your heart. It is unrelenting. But I also know the ones you love are never truly gone. They will always be with you. As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow. To heal, we must remember."

The nation, Biden said, must remain vigilant against the pandemic and fight to save as many lives as possible, with more testing, vaccines, and treatment.

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

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul also marked what she called an "unthinkable milestone . . . These were mothers, fathers, children, siblings, friends and neighbors, and I don't want any more New Yorkers to go through the pain of losing a loved one to this awful virus."

Today, Hochul said, there are tools to fight the COVID-19 battle and save lives, including vaccines and boosters.

"More than three in four of all New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, and over half of all eligible New Yorkers have received a booster dose — but that still isn't enough," she said.

Hochul, herself diagnosed with COVID-19 this week, encouraged every New Yorker over 5 to get vaccinated, and everyone over 12 to get boostered, if eligible.

"These tools have made the difference, which is why it's critical that Congress pass additional federal funding to ensure that we are prepared to respond to COVID-19 in the future," she said. "As we mark today's tragic milestone, let's remain vigilant against this virus and continue to look out for each other so we can move safely forward through this pandemic."

The news came as New York's numbers continue to tick upward: As of Wednesday, New York's positivity rate stood at 9.02 percent, up from 7.53 percent on May 5 — compared to 4.77 percent on April 5. On Long Island, that percentage stood at 10.42 percent, up from 8.69 percent on May 5 and 3.13 percent on April 5.