Biden speaks at a Covid-19 memorial at the Lincoln Memorial last month.
(CNN)With the US approaching 500,000 Covid-19 deaths, President Joe Biden will mark the grim milestone Monday with a candle lighting ceremony and a moment of silence, the White House said Sunday.
The event, which is set for 6:15 p.m. ET at the White House, will also feature first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Biden will deliver remarks on the lives lost ahead of the ceremony.
The ceremony underscores the empathetic message Biden has sought to bring to the US coronavirus response since taking office last month -- a departure from his predecessor. On Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was working on plans so the President could use his "own voice and platform to take a moment to remember the people whose lives have been lost, the families who are still suffering."