A COVID-19 MILESTONE THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN REACHED: In the early days of the pandemic, when then US President Donald Trump said that 100,000 people were likely to die of COVID-19 in the country, it was difficult to believe. How could the country with some of the best medical facilities in the world see such a high toll? And now with half a million people reported to have died of the disease, one must look back at the reasons leading to this. It is indeed a grim milestone, but for those who have lost a loved one, it is a milestone that should never have been reached. With a vaccine plan and stricter controls, the months ahead for Americans will hopefully be better than the year gone by. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]
AP