One day before president-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated, the U.S. passed the 400,000-mark in COVID-19 deaths, with the country retaining the top spot as the hardest-hit in the world.
Biden: 'To Heal...'
On Tuesday, Biden attended a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool. He takes the oath of office on Jan. 20 at noon. The event was held to honor the memory of people who succumbed to COVID-19 nearly one year after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the U.S.
During his speech, Biden said, "To heal, we must remember," adding that while it can be difficult to remember the deaths of loved ones, it is "important to do that as a nation."
Biden's presidential term is considered one of the most difficult in the history of U.S. politics as he must take up the responsibility of resolving a national health crisis while also attempting to unify a politically divided nation.
Grim Milestone After the Other
Just one day after the United States crossed 24 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, the country on Tuesday passed the 400,000-mark in coronavirus fatalities.
The said figure is more than the number of American deaths during World War I.
A Reuters analysis found that coronavirus deaths in the country surged during the holiday season, with an increase of 21% in the past three weeks. Daily deaths have also been on the rise.
The tally also found that since the beginning of 2021, eighteen states hit their highest daily deaths. Among the hardest hit in deaths so far this month are California, Washington, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
On Jan. 6, U.S. deaths surpassed 4,000 for the first time - the same day a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people.
Medical experts have raised concerns about the increasing deaths in the country, with healthcare facilities requesting for more doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The government has been struggling to meet vaccine demand.
Talks of Trump's Leadership Failure Resurface
Following two consecutive days of grim COVID-19 records, some experts have once again raised the issue on outgoing President Donald Trump's supposed failure in leading the country during a pandemic.
When news of the novel coronavirus first emerged, Trump spoke in confidence about the U.S. being able to handle the health crisis. He also initially shunned the use of face masks in public.
Fast-forward to 2021 and the U.S. remains the country with the most confirmed cases and most deaths linked to the fast-spreading disease.
Columbia University professor of environmental health sciences, Jeffrey Shaman, said Trump made the pandemic "into a divisive issue" instead of a situation where he could have called for national unity and patriotism.
With Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion aid package that includes $415 billion for COVID-19 response, hopes are high that the country would see better days under the new U.S. president.
