Flags at half-staff to remember 1 million U.S. lives lost to COVID-19

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - In accordance with a White House proclamation, Gov. Pete Ricketts ordered all U.S. and Nebraska flags to be flown at half-staff to mark the nation’s 1 millionth COVID-19 death.

“Flags will be flown at half-staff beginning immediately and return to full staff at sunset on Monday,” the release from Ricketts’ office states.

President Biden appealed to world leaders at a COVID-19 summit Thursday to reenergize a lagging international commitment to attacking the virus as he led the U.S. in marking the “tragic milestone” of 1 million deaths in America.

“This pandemic isn’t over,” Biden declared at the second global pandemic summit. He spoke solemnly of the once-unthinkable U.S. toll: “1 million empty chairs around the family dinner table.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.