A somber new milestone marked the new year in the U.S. ― as of Friday, the country recorded more than 20 million COVID-19 cases since the coronavirus pandemic began early last year.
The U.S. has about 4% of the world’s population, but accounts for almost one-quarter of the total number of coronavirus cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University data. It is the country with the highest number of cases by far; India has the second-highest tally, reporting a total of more than 10.2 million cases.
President-elect Joe Biden — who will take office on Jan. 20 — warned Americans last week to prepare themselves for the “darkest days†of the pandemic, which he said are still to come.
“One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis: I’m going to tell it to you straight. I’m going to tell you the truth. And here’s the simple truth: Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us,†Biden said.Â
On Thursday, the president-elect said he intends to host a memorial service at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on the eve of his inauguration to honor the more than 345,000 Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19.Â
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