Video: The Washington National Cathedral rang its bell 1,000 times on May 9, 2022, once for every 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States. (Xinhua)
The United States has reported more than 997,700 deaths from the pandemic. The nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases is approaching 82 million, also the highest in the world.
WASHINGTON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Washington National Cathedral rang its bell 1,000 times Monday evening, once for every 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States.
"This gesture cannot replace the lives lost, but we hope it will help each American mourn the toll of this pandemic," the cathedral wrote on its YouTube channel that streamed the event online.
Residents living near the cathedral -- located in northwest Washington, D.C. -- gathered on the grounds, heard the bell, and paid tribute.
Photo taken on May 9, 2022 shows the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
The United States has reported more than 997,700 deaths from the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins University's dashboard.
The nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases is approaching 82 million, also the highest in the world.
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote in its latest COVID data tracker weekly review.
Although deaths continue to decrease, the United States is expected to reach 1 million deaths soon, the CDC predicted in the review published last week.
Photo taken on May 9, 2022 shows the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha tweeted on Sunday that the current viral resurgent in the United States has been driven by "largely Omicron subvariant BA.2 and increasingly, BA.2.12.1."
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on Monday, urging the Congress to approve new funding for the administration's plan to combat the stubborn pandemic.
Among the 1 million lives lost to COVID-19, almost 75 percent were 65 or older, while about 4 percent were younger than 45, data shows.
On Monday Former U.S. CDC Director Tom Frieden tweeted, "we all have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us by taking reasonable precautions, including masking up in higher-risk environments or when community spread is high, and staying home when sick." ■
