The United States recorded another 1,400 deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the U.S. death toll since the start of the pandemic to more than a half a million — by far the highest of any nation in the world. The bells at the National Cathedral in Washington tolled 500 times Monday to commemorate the 500,000 people who’ve died in just the last year. That’s more than the entire population of Miami, Florida. In a sunset ceremony at the White House, President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses led the country in a moment of communal mourning. 

President Joe Biden: “So, today, I ask all Americans to remember, remember those we lost and those we left behind. But as we remember, as we all remember, I also ask us to act, to remain vigilant, to stay socially distanced, to mask up, get vaccinated when it’s your turn. We must end the politics and misinformation that’s divided families, communities and the country. And it’s cost too many lives already.”

Biden has ordered flags on federal property to fly at half-staff for five days as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to fall across the United States and the vaccine effort is speeding up.

In Connecticut, health authorities say they will now administer COVID-19 vaccines based solely on age, eliminating priority status for most essential workers, with residents 55 and older and teachers prioritized.