MADISON —​ Gov. Tony Evers has ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff in honor of the more than 500,000 Americans, including more than 6,300 Wisconsinites, lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we continue to endure the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, I ask the people of Wisconsin to join me in honoring and remembering the many spouses, parents and grandparents, kids and grandkids, best friends, and neighbors who were taken by this virus too soon and are loved, cherished, and missed by many,” Evers said in a news release. “With heavy hearts, we join our fellow Wisconsinites and Americans who are mourning the loss of someone they love and who, amid unimaginable challenges, have had to endure unfathomable grief this past year. We must reaffirm our resolve to prevent further spread of COVID-19, save lives, and to defeat this pandemic together.”

In conjunction with an order from President Joe Biden lowering the flag of the United States nationwide, Executive Order #109 is effective immediately and will end at sunset on Fri., Feb. 26, 2021.