Donald Trump has said coronavirus deaths in the US are expected to peak in two weeks – as his top scientific adviser warned the outbreak could kill up to 200,000 Americans.
The US president announced he was extending the 15-day period of social distancing in the country, which was due to expire on Monday, until 30 April.
In a briefing at the White House, Mr Trump said his remarks last week that he wanted the US economy running again by Easter were “aspirational”.
The modelling estimates that the peak in the death rate is likely to hit in two weeks,” he said
“The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end. Therefore we’ll be extending our guidelines to April 30th to slow the spread.”
The US has the most coronavirus cases in the world, with more than 136,000 suspected and confirmed infections, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the outbreak.
More than 2,400 people who have contracted COVID-19 have died in the US. At least 1,026 deaths have been recorded in New York.
Read more via Sky News
2nd September 2026
Malta Public Transport has launched its Back to School campaign, offering eligible students the opportunity to register for a personalised Tallinja card free of charge, including postage...
2nd September 2026
Uber Technologies will cut 3,300 jobs, or roughly 10% of its global workforce, as part of an overhaul, as it looks to reduce the number of managers, the company said on Wednesday.
...
2nd September 2026
Updated 1200
Fiscal Council Warns Malta’s Deficit Could Exceed Government Forecast: The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that Malta’s public finances face a heightened risk of...
1st September 2026
Updated 1200
Malta Economy Shows Modest July Improvement as Tourism and Lending Support Growth: Malta’s economic activity improved slightly in July but remained marginally below its l...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
2nd September 2026
Malta Public Transport has launched its Back to School campaign, offering eligible students the opportunity to register for a personalised Tallinja card free of charge, including postage...
2nd September 2026
Uber Technologies will cut 3,300 jobs, or roughly 10% of its global workforce, as part of an overhaul, as it looks to reduce the number of managers, the company said on Wednesday.
...
5th August 2026
Artificial intelligence has already transformed industries such as finance and education, but one of its most important tests may come in medicine: discovering new drugs.
Pharmaceutic...
2nd August 2026
Malta’s new pay transparency regulations, which came into effect on the 5th of June, aim to strengthen fairness and equality in the workplace, but employers are warning that the rushed i...
2nd September 2026
Malta Public Transport has launched its Back to School campaign, offering eligible students the opportunity to register for a personalised Tallinja card free of charge, including postage...
19th August 2026
The autonomous bus project in Gozo commenced its public testing phase after the completion of the commissioning phase, marking another important milestone in the rollout of this innovati...
4th August 2026
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
29th July 2026
Gulf states have backed a proposal aimed at reducing disruption to global oil trade by allowing Iran to collect voluntary fees from ships using the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
24th August 2026
Ukraine wants peace but will not just give in to Russia at any price, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday in a defiant speech marking Independence Day celebrations.
British...
21st August 2026
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the...