COLUMBUS, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine on Thursday ordered all U.S. and Ohio flags flown on public buildings and grounds throughout the state be lowered to half-staff.
The governor's orders are in accordance with those issued by President Joe Biden earlier in the day to mark the “tragic milestone” of 1 million COVID-19 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.
According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the coronavirus has killed more than 999,000 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally since it emerged in late 2019. Other counts, including by the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association, have the toll at 1 million.
The president called on Congress to urgently provide billions of dollars more for testing, vaccines and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far.
Flags in Ohio will remain lowered until sunset on May 16, according to the order.