660,000 white flags and climbing: This artist shows what America’s COVID-19 death toll looks like

 

Jeneffer Haynes is among the roughly 300 volunteers planting a crop of more than 660,000 white flags on the National Mall — it’s a physical representation of the staggering death toll of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. 

One of those flags bears the words “John Estampador.” It’s the name of Haynes’ brother — a 30-year-old born with Down syndrome who always gave her big hugs. He died after contracting COVID-19 in January before he had access to a vaccine.