The toll of the Covid-19 epidemic in the United States, which topped 500,000 deaths on Monday February 22, is "heartbreaking", US President Joe Biden said in a moving speech from the House White.

"We must resist the temptation to see each life as a statistic (...) We must do it to honor the dead", he added before observing a minute of silence in the presence of his wife Jill Biden , Vice-President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff.

"I also ask that we take action, that we remain vigilant, that we keep our distance, that we wear masks, that we get vaccinated," he added.

After the speech, the two couples of the American executive appeared in front of the White House, where they meditated a few moments, first silent then accompanied in this tribute by the very popular hymn "Amazing Grace", played by a marine orchestra.

Hope with vaccines

Joe Biden then signed himself, surrounded by 500 candles to symbolize the 500,000 dead arranged on the balcony of the White House and on the stairs leading to it, before disappearing from view and the cameras.

The Democratic President also ordered flags on all federal buildings to be half-masted for five days. 

With 500,159 people having succumbed to the virus and more than 28 million cases of contamination, the United States is the country most affected in the world in absolute value by the pandemic.

The current rhythm of vaccinations (1.7 million daily injections on average) gives hope, however.

"I believe that we will get closer to normality by the end of this year," Joe Biden said on Friday.

A timid optimism echoed on Monday, the announcement of the reopening of New York cinemas, scheduled for March 5, with a maximum level of 25% of the usual capacity and a limit of 50 spectators per room.

With AFP

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