WHO: 2 million COVID deaths in Europe, 1 million in US

The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Europe has exceeded 2 million, the World Health Organization announced in a statement, calling it a “devastating milestone.” The announcement on Thursday comes as the White House announced that the United States has recorded more than 1 million COVID-19 deaths. US President Joe Biden called it a “tragic milestone” for the country that has recorded the most COVID-19 cases since the start of 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. “As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines, and treatments than ever before.” The WHO reported last week that nearly 15 million people were killed either directly or indirectly by COVID-19 during the past two years.