The U.S. on Wednesday surpassed one million COVID-19 deaths, according to data compiled by American broadcast television network, NBC News.

The figure reached at such speed, 27 months after the country confirmed its first case of the virus.

“Each of those people touched hundreds of other people.

“It’s an exponential number of other people that are walking around with a small hole in their heart,” said Diana Ordonez, whose husband, Juan Ordonez, died in April 2020 at age 40.

While deaths from COVID-19 have slowed in recent weeks, about 360 people are still dying every day.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline, but omicron sub-variants are driving an increase in America and Africa.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday recommended that travellers should continue to wear masks in airplanes, trains and airports despite a judge’s April 18 order declaring the 14-month-old transportation mask mandate unlawful.

The CDC said it based its recommendation on current COVID-19 conditions and spread, as well as the protective value of masks.