“They were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues,” he said.

The pain has been multiplied by the “savageness” of the disease, the Secretary-General added, noting that the risk of infection kept families from being with their loved ones, and the process of mourning and celebrating a life was often made impossible.

“How do you say goodbye without holding a hand, or extending a gentle kiss, a warm embrace, a final whisper ‘I love you?'”

At the same time, there is still no end in sight to the spread of the virus, the loss of jobs, the disruption of education, the upheaval to our lives, said Mr. Guterres.

‘We can overcome’

However, we can overcome this challenge, he urged, underlining the need to “learn from the mistakes”.

“Responsible leadership matters.  Science matters.  Cooperation matters – and misinformation kills. As the relentless hunt for a vaccine continues – a vaccine that must be available and affordable to all – let’s do our part to save lives,” said Mr. Guterres. (ILKHA)