Biden reveals number of Covid-19 deaths in U.S.

Americans must not "grow numb" to the sorrow of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday, as he marked 1 million Covid-19 deaths in the United States.

Biden urged the country to remain vigilant as he prepared to issue a proclamation ordering flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of those who lost their lives due to Covid - and as he prepared to co-host a global summit charting the next steps in tackling the pandemic.

"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," Biden said in a statement published by the White House early Thursday morning.

The president added that it was critical for Congress to sustain resources for combating the spread of Covid-19 over the coming months.