Joe Biden prays for 'loved ones left behind' as COVID fatalities touch 8 lakh in US

As the United States clocked a tragic count of 8 lakh deaths from COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden remembered the loved ones who are left behind coping with the loss of friends and/or family. Taking to Twitter, Biden mourned the lives lost in the two-year long-running pandemic that has left a scathing impact on human lives and economies. He also urged citizens to remain vigilant and register for their booster shots as the holiday season and looming winter is expected to see a rise in COVID-19 cases, fuelled by the new Omicron strain.

"As we mark 800,000 American deaths due to COVID-19, we must remember all those we have lost — and pray for their loved ones, especially during this holiday season. I know what it’s like to stare at an empty chair around the kitchen table, especially during the holiday season, and my heart aches for every family enduring this pain," Biden said in a statement, as quoted by White House Press release.

In an impassioned appeal to the Americans, he stressed that "to heal" from the pandemic, all should act like one. Taking the dark hour to call for robust steps towards getting vaccinated, President Biden recalled "We stood up a historic vaccination program, and 240 million Americans have stepped up and gotten at least one shot. As a result, we have saved over one million American lives, and spared families in every community across the country the incalculable loss that too many others have suffered."

Speaking about the successful vaccination rate across America, Biden highlighted that more than 200 million individuals are fully vaccinated with the number rising each day. Raising serious concerns of the new variant, he also urged all to "resolve" to keep combatting the virus by taking the due jabs and other prevention measures such as masking.

Pfizer anti-viral pill 'key step' to fighting the virus

Biden at an extended press briefing on Tuesday also stated that Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral pill is a big step towards fighting against the pandemic. He also praised the pharmaceutical company's report on the new experimental treatment for COVID-19, which has promised to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and fatality by 90% among high-risk patients, CNN reported. As per a separate press release by White House, Biden went on to promote booster jabs as a "critical instrument" for saving lives.

As of December 14, the US logged 1,16,892 new COVID infections with California topping the state-wise count list. In the last 24 hours ending Tuesday (local time), California recorded 51.8L cases, followed by Texas (43.9l), Florida (37.2l), New York (28.7l), and Illinois (19.2l), New York Times reported. Meanwhile, overall UK crossed 8 lakh deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

(Image: AP)