By Christina Maxouris and Jason Hanna, CNN
(CNN) The United States has reported at least 400,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of Tuesday afternoon.
That’s more than the number of Americans who died in World War I, Vietnam War and the Korean War combined, and nearly as many Americans who died in World War II. It’s far higher than any other country’s Covid-19 death toll.The pandemic’s death toll has risen sharply in increments of 100,000 since the first coronavirus death in the United States was reported February 29 in Washington state. (Later in the spring, two earlier deaths in California were posthumously confirmed to be from Covid-19.)
- 84 days after the first recorded death, the US surpassed 100,000 deaths on May 23, 2020.
- 121 days later, the US surpassed 200,000 deaths on September 21, 2020.
- 84 days later, the US surpassed 300,000 deaths on December 14, 2020.
- 36 days later, on January 19, 2021, the US topped 400,000 deaths.
Those who’ve died will be in focus Tuesday evening, when President-elect Joe Biden, one day ahead of his inauguration in the nation’s capital, is set to attend a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool at 5:30 p.m. ET to honor Covid-19 victims.Biden’s inaugural committee is inviting cities and towns across the country to join in by illuminating buildings and ringing church bells “in a national moment of unity and remembrance.”
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