Biden commemorates the death of a million Americans from covid-19: "As a nation, we must not numb ourselves in the face of so much pain"

Joe Biden: This nation will smile again, joy will return 10:22

(CNN) --

United States President Joe Biden on Thursday commemorated the country's imminent arrival at what he called "a tragic milestone": "One million American lives lost to covid-19. One million empty chairs." around the table. Each one of them is an irreplaceable loss. Each one leaves behind a family, a community and a nation forever changed by this pandemic."

"Jill and I are praying for each of them," the president added in a statement.

• Nearly 15 million people have died from the covid-19 pandemic, according to the WHO, nearly three times as many as reported.

Biden used the moment to ask Congress to approve more funding to deal with Covid-19, something the administration has been pushing for in recent weeks.

"As a nation, we must not numb ourselves in the face of so much pain. To heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant in this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have done with more tests, vaccines and treatments than ever before." Biden wrote.

"It is critical that Congress maintain these resources in the coming months."

The White House said earlier this week that the US will host a virtual summit on Covid-19 this Thursday.

Covid-19Joe Biden