Fauci says millions in US will be infected
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MILLIONS of Americans will be infected by the coronavirus and 100,000 to 200,000 will die, the US government’s top infectious-disease expert warned yesterday, as people in and around the country’s outbreak epicenter of New York were urged to limit their travel to contain the scourge.
The dire prediction came from Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union.” By early yesterday, the US had about 125,000 infections and 2,200 deaths.
Around the world, doctors were forced to make tough choices about which patients to save with their limited breathing machines, and Spain and Italy demanded more European help as they fight still-surging coronavirus infections in the continent’s worst crisis since World War II.
The confirmed global death toll surpassed 31,000 and new virus epicenters emerged in US cities like Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago. Even rural America has not been immune, as virus hot spots erupt in midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.
Authorities said on Saturday an infant who tested positive died in Chicago.
Spain and Italy alone account for more than half of the world’s death toll, and are still seeing over 800 deaths a day each. Experts say, however, that virus toll numbers across the world are being seriously under-represented because of limited testing.
Trump backtracks
US President Donald Trump backtracked on a threat to quarantine New York and neighboring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.
Some US states began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas. Rhode Island National Guard troops were going door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers. Florida is setting up checkpoints to screen visitors from Louisiana.
Shocking as that is for Americans, that stopped short of the restrictions imposed in Europe or elsewhere. Parisians are fined if they try to leave the city, South Africans can’t even buy liquor, and Serbians are upset over a ban on walking their dog. In Italy, burials are being held with only one family member.
Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work yesterday as it hit another daily record of 838 dead. The country’s overall official toll was more than 6,500.
Worldwide infections surpassed 680,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads the world with about 125,000 reported cases, but five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France.
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