The US has recorded the deadliest day from the coronavirus pandemic any country has so far seen, as it becomes the first country to mark more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours and its number of infections topped half a million.
Stark figures show that 2,028 Americans died from coronavirus in a single day on Friday, taking the death toll to almost 19,000.
As the nation mourns its darkest day on record during the pandemic, the total number of Americans infected skyrocketed past half a million.
The death toll increased to 18,798 Friday and infections reached 505,478, as another 35,579 Americans tested positive.
The US is on track to become the deadliest nation in the world from the virus, as it rapidly edges closer to Italy’s death toll of 18,849.
The total death toll from the pandemic is now expected to be 61,000 by August, according to the projections.
It comes as new US government figures show that a spike in coronavirus infections will occur in the summer if the current lockdown measures are lifted after 30 days as planned.
About 95 percent of the US remain on some form of lockdown after President Donald Trump issued guidelines that called for 30 days of measures to slow the spread of the virus.
The government projections, obtained by the New York Times, indicate that lifting the strict social distancing measures now in place will see a second wave surge in infections and deaths in about June and July.
If the current shelter-in-place orders are lifted on May 30, the death total is estimated to reach 200,000, according to the projections obtained from the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.
The death toll could reach 300,000 without any restrictions imposed to contain coronavirus – including school closings, shelter-in-place orders and social distancing.
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Source: Daily Mail
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