The United States has passed more than one million Covid-related deaths, says the White House. The U.S. on Wednesday (11May) surpassed 1 million Covid-19 deaths, according to data compiled by NBC News — a once unthinkable scale of loss even for the country with the world's highest recorded toll from the virus.
The number — equivalent to the population of San Jose, California, the 10th largest city in the U.S. — was reached at stunning speed: 27 months after the country confirmed its first case of the virus.
President Joe Biden said the country was marking "a tragic milestone" and each death was "an irreplaceable loss".
It's the highest official total in the world - although the World Health Organization believes the true death toll may be much higher elsewhere.
The U.S. has also recorded more than 80 million Covid cases, out of a 330 million population.
The first confirmed case was reported on 20 January 2020, when a man flew home to Seattle from Wuhan in China.
The 35-year-old survived, after 10 days of pneumonia, coughs, fever, nausea and vomiting. But deaths began to be reported just a few weeks later.
Mmeanwhile, more U.S. families are choosing cremation. While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in the industry, some are taking it a step further and turning the ashes of their loved ones into diamonds.