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Utah's governor orders flags be flown at half-staff to honor lives lost to COVID-19

file photo utah state capitol flags half-staff half-mast american flag.jpg
Posted at 9:19 AM, May 12, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-12 11:19:47-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Thursday ordered flags around the state to be flown at half-staff to honor the lives of nearly a million Americans who have died from COVID-19.

Earlier in the morning, President Joe Biden released a proclamation ordering all flags on federal properties be flown at half-staff for those who died from the virus.

As of Thursday morning, Johns Hopkins University reported nearly 999,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. Official government figures put the tally around 995,000.

“As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow,” Biden said. “To heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines, and treatments than ever before. It’s critical that Congress sustain these resources in the coming months.”

Biden has called for an additional $10 billion in funds intended to fight the next phase of the pandemic. The White House says funding for items such as testing and vaccinations, which have been made available to Americans for free, could run out.

Utah flags should be lowered to the half-staff position immediately and return to full-staff at sunset on Monday, May 16, 2022.