But while it marked a moment of sorrow,the death toll arrived amid a growing belief that America’s worst coronavirus days may be behind it.
“We are seeing the recovery from explosive spread over the holidays,” Tom Frieden,the former head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention,toldThe Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age.
“It’s encouraging to see cases really plummeting,and with that we’re seeing a plummeting in hospitalisations and eventually in deaths.”
The US is now recording around 60,000 new cases a day,significantly down from a peak of 280,000 in early January. The seven-day rolling average is at its lowest since the start of the northern winter wave in October.
Importantly,all 50 states have been recording plummeting infection rates. That’s a big change from earlier stages in the pandemic where good news in some regions was offset by soaring cases elsewhere in the country.
On Monday (AEDT) the US recorded 40 straight days of falling hospitalisations. Deaths have fallen from almost 3500 a day in early January to 1900 a day - a figure expected to keep declining.
The vaccine rollout,which was plagued by early glitches,has also been showing signs of progress.Around two million Americans are now being vaccinated every day,up from around 900,000 a day a month ago,as state governments smooth out kinks in their distribution systems.
So far,44 million Americans - around 13 per cent of the total population - have received one vaccine dose.
Vaccines already appear to be having a dramatic impact in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities,which are home to some of the country’s oldest and most vulnerable populations.
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TheCOVID Tracking Project this week released data showing that new cases in long-term-care facilities (LTCs) have fallen by 87 per cent in the US,with most of the drop occurring in the last three weeks. Deaths have fallen by around 70 per cent.
The decline in cases and deaths in long-term-care facilities has outpaced the country at large,suggesting the vaccine rollout was having a rapid,positive impact at preventing infections and deaths,the project said.
There are also promising signs that,while vaccine hesitancy remains disturbingly high,Americans are becoming more comfortable with the idea of getting the jab.
In December Alston Green,a retired graphic designer from New York toldThe Herald andThe Age,thathe was wary of getting the vaccine because of the history of medical experimentation on African Americans.
“We have historically been used as guinea pigs,” the 69-year-old said. “That has created a sense of distrust.”
But after consulting with his doctor,he was convinced of its safety and effectiveness. Last week he became one of the 19 million Americans to have received a second COVID vaccination shot. According to medical experts,he is now at little risk of dying or becoming seriously ill from the virus.
“It gives you a sense of confidence and comfort,” Green said after getting the shot. “I’m beginning to feel more optimistic already.”
While honouring the half-million Americans who have died from COVID,Biden offered hope that the pandemic could soon be brought under control.
“This nation will smile again,” he said. “This nation will know sunny days again.”