Spain and Italy call for more backing as US could face death toll of up to 200,000
SPAIN and Italy demanded more European help as they fight coronavirus infections amid the continent’s worst crisis since the Second World War.
In the US, authorities urged millions in the hard-hit New York City region to stop travelling to keep the virus contained.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned the coronavirus outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans.
He made the prediction of fatalities on CNN’S State of the Union, adding that millions in the US could become infected.
By midday yesterday, the US had about 125,000 infections and 2,200 deaths.
Worldwide, the count approached 700,000 infections, and deaths topped 32,000. World Health Organisation figures showed the daily increase in new infections was eclipsing 70,000, up from about 50,000 earlier in the week, and more than six times what it was two weeks ago.
New York State — where the death toll closed in on 1,000, up by more than 200 from the day before — remained the epicentre of the US outbreak, but spikes in infections were recorded around the country, not only in metropolitan areas but in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.
Spain and Italy alone account for more than half of the world’s death toll. Italy reported more than 750 new deaths yesterday, bringing the country’s total to nearly 10,800.
But the number of new infections showed signs of narrowing again, with officials expressing cautious optimism that the most severe shutdown in the industrialised West is showing results.
Italy’s civil protection agency said more than 5,200 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest number in four days, for a total of almost 98,000 infections.
Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all non-essential work as it hit another daily record of almost 840 dead. The country’s overall official toll was more than 6,500.
Spain’s health emergencies chief, Fernando Simon, said the country’s infection rate fell Sunday to 9%, down from 18% three days before.
But he said the number of people in intensive care units keeps rising and hospitals are at their limits in several regions.
“That is why we have to strictly apply the control measures,” he said.
Earlier, Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte said: “Europe must demonstrate that it is able to respond to this historic call.”
The crisis “involves all of the economic and social systems of the member states”, he said.
“I will fight until the last drop of sweat, until the last gram of energy, to obtain a strong, vigorous, cohesive European response.”
US President Donald Trump backtracked on a threat to quarantine New York and neighbouring states amid questions about the legality of such a move.
But the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all non-essential travel for 14 days.