Washington [US], December 15 (ANI): Deaths from the COVID-19 in the US has surpassed the tragic numbers of 8,00,000 on Tuesday (local time) with President Joe Biden saying all “loved ones” left behind are remembered and the nation prays for them.

“As we mark the tragic milestone of 8,00,000 American deaths due to COVID-19, we remember each person and the lives they lived, and we pray for the loved ones left behind. I know what it’s like to stare at an empty chair around the kitchen table, especially during the holiday season, and my heart aches for every family enduring this pain,” Biden said in a statement on Tuesday (local time).

“To heal, we must remember. We must also act. That is exactly what we have done over the past 11 months. We stood up a historic vaccination program, and 240 million Americans have stepped up and gotten at least one shot,” the statement added.

Emphasizing that the US has saved over one million American lives, Biden also said that it has spared families in every community across the country the incalculable loss that too many others have suffered.

“Today, more than 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated, and each day, more people are getting boosted than ever before. As we head into the winter and confront a new variant, we must resolve to keep fighting this virus together, said US President, adding, “This means getting vaccinated and getting your booster shot, and taking other preventive measures, such as masking.”

Underlining that the vaccines are safe, effective, free, easy, and the best tool to prevent more loss and pain, Biden emphasized if you were fully vaccinated before mid-June, please go get your booster shot as soon as possible. “And if you have not already — please get yourself and your school-age children vaccinated,” he said.

“I urge all Americans, do your patriotic duty to keep our country safe, to protect yourself and those around you, and to honour the memory of all those we have lost. Now is the time,” he added. (ANI)

US reports nearly 7.2 mln child COVID-19 cases

Washington DC [US], December 15 (ANI/Xinhua): Nearly 7.2 million children in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association.

A total of 7,196,901 child COVID-19 cases had been reported across the country as of Dec. 9, and children represented 17.2 percent of all confirmed cases, according to the report published on Monday. The overall rate was 9,562 cases per 100,000 children in the population.

Over 164,000 child cases were added the past week, an increase of nearly 24 percent over the prior week. This marked the 18th consecutive week child COVID-19 cases are above 100,000. Since the first week of September, there have been over 2.1 million additional child cases, according to the AAP.

Children accounted for 1.7 percent to 4 percent of total reported hospitalizations, and 0 to 0.27 percent of all COVID-19 deaths, said the report.

“At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is uncommon among children. However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects,” the AAP said in the report. (ANI/Xinhua)