Carper Remembers and Honors the Over 500,000 Americans Lost to COVID-19

Statement

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement remembering the over 500,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19:

"Today marks a grim milestone as we remember the more than 500,000 Americans who have been lost to this deadly virus. In the course of just over a year, this toll exceeds the number of American deaths on the battlefields of World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined. With a number this staggering, we cannot forget that each of these half a million Americans -- including over 1,300 Delawareans -- were mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, grandparents and neighbors, who each left behind loved ones and a unique legacy. Honoring their memory requires us to redouble our efforts to both aggressively fight this virus and reckon with the failures in leadership that have made this pandemic far more damaging.

"I want to thank President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their families for bringing us together as a country to remember and honor the far too many lives that have been lost over this past year. As our nation grieves together, we are also entering a new era of cautious optimism. Case counts and hospitalizations have been decreasing in recent weeks, and America is helping lead the world in vaccine distribution. But there is a great deal of work that still lies ahead. With a pandemic of this nature, it's easy to feel helpless, but we all have a role to play to stop the spread of this virus. It is so critical that we all continue practicing the simple public health measures that we know can save lives and keep our communities safe -- maintaining social distance, washing your hands, staying home when possible and continuing to wear a mask. By taking these common sense steps, we can protect each other and truly honor those who have lost loved ones."

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