Joe Biden will give his first prime-time speech as president Thursday evening, one year after the first sweeping shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic began and just a day before the first major legislative victory of his administration.

The White House announced early Thursday that Biden would appear before the nation to address the lives lost over the last year. He will speak for about 20 minutes to honor those affected by the coronavirus and address how the vaccination blitz has been the greatest operational challenge the country has faced.

More than 529,000 people have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and though infection rates and the daily death toll have fallen significantly since a peak earlier this year, they remain high.

[Biden] will lay out the next steps he will take to get the pandemic under control, level with the American people about what is still required to defeat the virus and provide a hopeful vision of what is possible if we all come together, the White House said.

The address will take place at 8 p.m. EST and be broadcast live from the White House.