President Joe Biden will order flags on federal lands fly at half-staff in honor of the 500,000 U.S. lives lost from COVID-19 – the president will also honor the lives lost with a moment of silence and candle-lighting ceremony at the White House.

The nation surpassed the grim milestone on Monday, just over a year after the first confirmed U.S. fatality due to the novel coronavirus.

What You Need To Know

  • President Biden will mark the U.S. crossing 500,000 lives lost from COVID-19 with a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at the White House

  • Biden ordered flags on federal lands to half-staff for five days in honor of the 500,000 people felled by the deadly pandemic

  • The White House said Biden will deliver remarks at sunset to honor those who lost their lives

  • The lives lost will be honored with a moment of silence and candle-lighting ceremony at the White House 

The White House said Biden will deliver remarks at sunset to honor those who lost their lives. He will be joined by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. They will participate in the moment of silence and lighting ceremony.

"Tonight’s events, including the president’s remarks, will highlight the magnitude of loss this milestone marks for the American people and so many families across the country," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at Monday's press briefing.

Psaki noted that Biden will not focus on the White House's pandemic response, but, rather, "have a human moment and a moment to remember the people who we've lost over the last year."

Psaki mentioned that Biden will "also speak to the power of the American people to turn the tide on this pandemic by working together, following public health guidelines and getting vaccinated as soon as they are eligible."

Biden has made a point of recognizing the lives lost to the deadly pandemic. Monday's vigil will be the second such ceremony – his first event upon arriving in Washington for his inauguration a month ago was to deliver remarks at a COVID-19 memorial ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial.

The United States has far more deaths from COVID-19 than any other country in the world.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.