US reaches grim milestone with 500,000 COVID-19 deaths

• US COVID-related deaths surpass 500,000
• As many as 28,174,133 people have contracted COVID-19 in the US
• US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a moment of silence to mark the tragic milestone

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Johns Hopkins University announced today that the United States reached a grim milestone, as the number of US COVID-19-related deaths has surpassed 500,000.

According to Johns Hopkins University, which relies on data provided by international organizations, federal and local authorities, as many as 28,174,133 people have contracted COVID-19 in the US and 500,071 people have died.

The death count in the U.S. far exceeds that of other countries — a fact that health experts attribute to the scattered, patchwork pandemic response from the Trump administration.

Currently, 2,000 people die from the disease every day on average, Johns Hopkins University data shows, down from a high of over 3,000 a day on average in mid-January.

According to the White House press service, US President Joe Bien jointly with Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a moment of silence to mark the tragic milestone of COVID-19 deaths. They will light candles and later Biden will give a speech.