By Elite Reporter
Uncertainty and panic continue to mount after the number of people infected with the novel Coronavirus in the United States surpassed 100,000 on Friday, with more than 1,500 deaths reported, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
Italy, meanwhile, announced 919 new deaths from Coronavirus, the highest number of fatalities any country has reported in the space of 24 hours since the outbreak began late last year.
The total number of people who have died as a result of COVID-19 in Italy now stands at 9,134. Further dashing hopes that Europe is containing the pandemic, because Spain recorded 769 new deaths in a daily, bringing the total number to 4,858.
More than 127,000 people globally have recovered from COVID-19. President Trump said on Friday the United States would produce 100,000 ventilators in 100 days and said he had named White House aide Peter Navarro as the coordinator of the Defense Production Act.
“We’re going to make a lot of ventilators,” Trump said, pledging to take care of US needs while also helping other countries.
Trump said there was a great chance the United States would not need so many ventilators to fight the Coronavirus outbreak, and would then help other countries in need.
US Representative Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, said on Friday he tested positive for the Coronavirus, becoming the fifth member of Congress to do so.
In a statement, Kelly said he had started experiencing mild flu-like symptoms earlier this week, and his doctor ordered a test that he obtained at a drive-through testing site.
“My test came back positive this afternoon,” he said. “My symptoms remain mild, and I will serve the 16th district from home until I fully recover.”
Meanwhile, President Trump has since signed a USD2.2 Trillion rescue package after it was passed by the House of Representatives on Friday.
The unprecedented package is meant to serve as life preserver to a US economy and health care system upturned by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The package will ship payments of up to USD1,200 to millions of Americans, bolster unemployment benefits, offer loans, grants and tax breaks to businesses large and small and flush billions more to states, local governments and the nation’s all but overwhelmed health care system.