Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that in the next couple of weeks, the US may see the highest number of deaths due to the coronavirus as the cases topped 3,01,902 in the country.
Talking about the scope of the disease in the United States in the next two weeks, he said, “There will be a lot of death.” However, he stressed that the death toll can remain low if certain mitigation steps are taken.
“This will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week, and there will be a lot of death, unfortunately, but a lot less death than if this wasn’t done but there will be death,” Trump said during Coronavirus Taskforce Briefing.
The current death toll in the United States stands at 8,291 as on Saturday (local time) as per the data provided by the Johns Hopkins University.
Moreover, he said that the signing of the Defence Production Act (DPA) on the production of medical equipment was in retaliation to the companies who did not supply what the government wanted.
“You could call it retaliation because that’s what it is. It’s retaliation. If people don’t — if people don’t give us what we need for our people, we’re going to be very tough, and we’ve been very tough,” Trump said during a briefing today.
Dr. Mary E. Birch, member of the Coronavirus Task Force also reiterated President’s comments on the magnitude of deaths in the next few weeks. Dr Birch said, “The next two weeks are extraordinarily important.”
She further added, “This is the moment to do everything that you can on the presidential guidelines.”
The total number of confirmed cases in the United States has crossed the 3,00,000 mark.
As on Sunday, the United States has at least 3,01,902 cases of coronavirus according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally. At least 8,175 people have died in the US from coronavirus.
There was a steep rise in the number of cases in the last 24 hours. At least 23,949 new cases were reported, and at least 1,023 new deaths in the US have been reported in the last 24 hours.
Modi urged to release Hydroxychloroquine ordered by US
Trump has said that he requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the Hydroxychloroquine tablets ordered by the US to treat the growing number of coronavirus patients in the country after India recently banned the drug for exports.
Trump said he spoke to Prime Minister Modi on Saturday morning and made a request to release Hydroxycholoroquine — an old and inexpensive drug used to treat malaria — for the US.
“I called Prime Minister Modi of India this morning. They make large amounts of Hydroxychloroquine. India is giving it a serious consideration,” Trump said at his daily news conference at the White House on Saturday.
India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade on March 25 banned the export of Hydroxychloroquine but said that certain shipments on humanitarian grounds may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
With more than three lakh confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and over 8,000 fatalities, the US has emerged as the global epicentre of the deadly coronavirus disease to which there has been no cure.
Trump said he would appreciate if India releases the amount of Hydroxychloroquine that the US has ordered. “And I said I would appreciate if they (India) would release the amounts that we ordered,” he said, without mentioning that quantity of Hydroxychloroquine that has been ordered by US companies from India. (Agencies)
