US fatalities continue to spike
DAY OF RECORDS America witnesses nearly 1,500 deaths and over 30,000 infections in just one day; total number of infections in US shoot up to 300,000
WASHINGTON: US authorities on Friday announced the voluntary use of face masks in public as the nationwide death toll went up to more than 7,100 after 1,480 new fatalities were confirmed in the last 24 hours - yet another singleday record in toll.
At least 30,000 new cases were reported nationwide over the 24-hour period, while the total number of infections in the country shot past 300,000.
Globally, at least 1,172,889 people have been infected and the worldwide death toll has gone past 62,829.
Washington, DC has emerged as an area of “developing concern” along with the states of Colorado and Pennsylvania and the cities of Chicago in Illinois and Detroit in Michigan, according to the White House coronavirus task force. New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Louisiana and Connecticut continue to report high incidence.
New York state remains the worst hit with over 113,700 cases and at least 3,565 deaths. New York City, which has alone accounted for at least 2,624 deaths, is faced with an additional crisis of an acute shortage of medical supplies and gear.
Washington state and California have been able to slow the spread belying early fears, and are beginning to be cited on how to beat the deadly pathogen with disciplined social distancing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose social-distancing guidelines have served as the template for the shutdown of all but a handful of US states, recommended on Friday that Americans should wear masks in public, as announced by US President Donald Trump.
“In light of these studies, the CDC is advising the use of nonmedical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure,” Trump said. “So it’s voluntary. You don’t have to do it... I don’t think I’m going to be doing it.”
Asked about the reason behind his personal aversion to wearing a mask, Trump said, “I just don’t want to be doing... Sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful resolute desk. I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens - I don’t know. Somehow, I don’t see it for myself.”
The US president also said that the November 3 election is on schedule.
Meanwhile, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said “the worst is yet to come,” referring to countries such as Syria, Libya and Yemen. “The storm is coming to all these theatres of conflict.”
World Bank president David Malpass on Friday said the pandemic may cause a “major global recession” that would likely hit the poorest and most vulnerable countries the hardest.
IMF head Kristalina Georgieva has said that the pandemic has brought the global economy to a standstill and plunged the world into a recession that will be “way worse” than the financial crisis a decade ago.