Coronavirus: Trump Predicts 3000 Daily Deaths as Economy Reopens

Globally, 3,635,428 coronavirus cases have been registered. 1,185,715 patients have recovered and 251,578 have died. 98% of currently infected patients are in mild condition, making it one of the reasons why countries around the world are reopening their economies. In fact, small shops and restaurants have already reopened or are planning to soon reopen in a dozen countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa.

France had a relatively low coronavirus death-rate for 3 straight days but the latest reports revealed a sharp rate of increase. The country’s death toll rose by 306 and reached 25,201. While Finland is planning to further ease the restrictions, opening restaurants, and relaxing the ban on public gatherings from 10 to 50 people from June 1, England's deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam has said that the UK needs COVID-19 cases to fall further to start the reopening. Great Britain has reported 28,734 COVID-19 fatalities to date. Germany continues the revival with churches opening doors for the believers, and hairdressers and museums starting functioning with restrictions intact.

Germany and the US have made contradictory statements about the date of the arrival of the coronavirus vaccine. Germany's health minister Jens Spahn has said creating coronavirus vaccine could take "years" in response to US President Donald Trump’s prediction that it “could be achieved by the end of 2020.”

"I would be delighted if it was possible to achieve this in a few months," Spahn said on ARD television, adding that “it can also take years as there can, of course, be setbacks, as we have seen with other vaccines.”

The American state of New York, the coronavirus epicenter of the last times, has seen a decrease in new cases and coronavirus-related deaths. This has started a conversation about reopening New York. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo talked about starting the reopening “with select retailers, wholesale suppliers, and the construction and manufacturing industries,” though not naming any specific dates for lifting the bans. Governor Cuomo named 7 requirements for reopening.

The New York Times has obtained an internal document, according to which the Trump Administration predicts the country’s daily death toll to reach 3,000 – the current number now stands at approximately 1,750 - on June 1. This comes as President Trump presses for states to reopen their economies.

BY Nini Dakhundaridze

Source: The New York Times, Al Jazeera

Image source: The New York Times