Coronavirus cases surge across U.S, Trump admits outbreak ‘might’ impact US economy
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The coronavirus outbreak radiated across the United States, surfacing in at least four new states and San Francisco as Congress quickly approved more than $8 billion to fight the outbreak.
The death toll from the respiratory illness rose to 12 in the United States, with the latest fatality recorded in King County, Washington, where six people have died in an outbreak at a nursing facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland.
Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus “might have an impact” on the US economy but said it would pass, Reuters reports.
The US president has previously sought to play down the effects of the outbreak and predicted last week that the US stock market would bounce back after losses last week. The Dow Jones sank 3.6% on Thursday.
At least 57 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed nationwide on Thursday as the virus struck for the first time in Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee and Texas, as well as the city of San Francisco.
At least several people suffering from the virus are said to be gravely ill.
A helicopter flew testing kits to a cruise liner idled off the coast of California and barred from docking in San Francisco after at least 35 people developed flu-like symptoms aboard the ship, which has been linked to two other confirmed cases of COVID-19.
US vice president, Mike Pence, who is heading the coronavirus efforts in the US, has admitted the country does not have enough testing kits: “We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward,” he said.
As in other countries, Americans faced a new reality where they were often asked to stay home from work, schools were closed, large gatherings and sporting events canceled, and stores emptied of staples like toiletries and water.
Alphabet Inc’s Google on Thursday joined Amazon.com Inc, Facebook Inc and Microsoft Corp in recommending that its employees in the Seattle area work from home, after some contracted the virus.
