'Unthinkable tragedy': U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpasses 1 million

What was once unthinkable — is now a reality.

One million Americans have now died from the coronavirus, according to an announcement made Thursday by President Joe Biden, marking a long-dreaded milestone for an incomprehensible tragedy.

"Today, we mark a tragic milestone: one million American lives lost to COVID-19. 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," Biden said in a statement. "As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow. To heal, we must remember."