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US President Joe Biden speaks about his administration’s plans to respond to the economic crisis during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response event at the White House State Dining Room in Washington, DC, on January 22, 2021.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
President Joe Biden painted a grim picture of the coronavirus outbreak in the country during his first days in office, warning that it will take months to reverse the trajectory of the pandemic and that the death toll is expected to rise dramatically over the next few weeks.
“A lot of America is suffering. The virus is increasing. We are 400,000 dead which are expected to reach over 600,000,” Biden said Friday before signing two executive orders to reduce hunger and strengthen workers’ rights amid the crisis. pandemic.
The United States surpassed 400,000 total Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, a quarter of which were in the previous 36 days, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On Thursday, on Biden’s first full day as president, he told reporters following a meeting with his Covid-19 advisers, including Dr Anthony Fauci, that the country would likely total 500,000 Covid-19 deaths in February.
Biden warned on Friday that as the outbreak continued, “there is nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic over the next few months.” The president has repeatedly warned that the situation will likely get worse before it gets better.
The United States has reported a drop in Covid-19 cases in recent days, a beacon of hope after a surge since the fall and during the winter holiday season. The United States is reporting an average of around 187,593 new cases of Covid-19 per day, down 22% from a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data.
However, the nation is still “in a very serious situation,” Fauci said during his first appearance at the White House press conference under the new administration on Thursday, noting the country’s high death toll and reduced hospital capacity. .
Fauci said the daily number of cases, based on a weekly average, appears to be leveling off and recovering. It is possible that the drop was still due to reduced reporting after the holidays, he added.
“When we see this, we think it’s real,” Fauci said.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates later.
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