Biden Announces 1 Million US Lives Lost to COVID-19

One million Americans have died from COVID-19, according to an announcement from President Joe Biden and tallies from multiple news sources.

"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," the president said in a statement Thursday morning. He stressed the need to "double down on our efforts to get shots in people’s arms," and called on Congress to "take the urgent action to provide emergency COVID-19 funding that is vital to protect Americans." Official tolls say roughly 6.7 million people have died from COVID-19 around the world. Last week, the World Health Organization said that number might be closer to 15 million.

Sources across the spectrum, especially on the left and center but also on the right, framed the news as a grim and somber milestone. Most coverage from center- and left-rated sources emphasized the tragic nature of the milestone and the grief of people who lost loved ones to the virus. A few outlets, such as Reuters, cited their own tallies when reporting the 1 million deaths instead of citing Biden's announcement as the source.

Some reports from right-rated outlets framed Biden and his speech in a negative light, and highlighted his push for more congressional COVID-19 spending alongside mention of inflation concerns and Republicans' criticisms of the idea.