US toll hits 100,000

Coronavirus deaths climb as President urges states to reopen

UNTHINKABLE just a few months ago, the United States on Wednesday surpassed the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths, as the pandemic tightened its grip on Latin America.

With the European Union unveiling a massive recovery plan to step up its emergence from the crisis, the US figure was a sobering reminder of the devastation being wreaked worldwide by a virus that only emerged late last year.

Confirmed US deaths stood at 100,396 late Wednesday, with nearly 1.7 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Nevertheless, most US states moved toward reopening businesses, cheered on by President Donald Trump, who is eager to see the economic pain of the crisis mitigated as he seeks re-election. The US capital Washington will ease its lockdown from today.

Grim news came from across the Americas, as Brazil saw its death toll pass 25,000.

President Jair Bolsonaro is facing criticism over his response to the health crisis.

The far-right leader has downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic and railed against stay-at-home measures, arguing the economic fallout risks causing more damage than the virus itself.

“The so-called second wave is coming: recession. It will affect everyone, without exception,” he wrote on Facebook.

Peru meanwhile registered a record 6154 new cases in a 24-hour period.

“Difficult days, difficult weeks are coming because people are going to get sick,” said Pilar Mazzetti, who is helping co-ordinate Peru’s coronavirus response.

In Europe, businesses have started reopening as outbreaks on the continent slow, but Italy and Spain lack the firepower of richer European nations to rebuild their economies.

The EU yesterday unveiled a historic, €750 billion ($1.2 trillion) recovery plan to get the continent back on its feet.