US COVID-19 Deaths Reach 140,000... Trump Says "Virus Will Disappear Soon"

Over 50,000 Daily COVID-19 Cases Nationwide in the US After 7 Days
Spread Mainly in Southern Regions Like Florida and Texas
Trump: "Most Cases Are Young People, Impact Not Severe"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United States has surpassed 140,000, and the virus is raging fiercely, with an average of over 10,000 new cases per day in Florida over the past five days. Amid this situation, controversy is growing as President Donald Trump stated that most COVID-19 cases are among young people, so the damage is not severe, and the virus will soon disappear.

On the 19th (local time), President Trump said in an interview with Fox News, "Currently, most COVID-19 patients are young people who will recover within a day," adding, "The United States is conducting the most virus tests in the world, which is a welcome development, but the numbers can actually be distorted. We are creating a problem." He also emphasized, "The United States has the lowest mortality rate in the world." Furthermore, he predicted an early end to the COVID-19 situation in the U.S., stating, "The virus will disappear within this year."

President Trump's remarks have been criticized as disregarding the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation in the United States. According to the statistics site Worldometer, as of this day, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reached 3,893,949, an increase of 60,689 in just one day. Daily new cases in the U.S. have continuously exceeded 50,000 since the 7th, and on the 16th, 77,300 new cases were reported in a single day, marking the highest daily case count ever. The cumulative death toll also reached 143,263, the highest number of deaths worldwide.

Especially in Florida, in the southern U.S. where the damage is increasing, daily new cases have exceeded 10,000 consecutively every day last week. On the 11th, 15,244 cases were recorded, the highest number of patients, and the weekly average was 12,523 new cases per day. In Texas, another heavily affected state, 85 infants under one year old in Nueces County were collectively infected with COVID-19 on this day. On the 10th of last month, a six-month-old infant died in the same county.

Even in New York, where the situation is somewhat improving, on the 17th, the city announced the fourth phase of economic reopening, allowing spectator-free sports events and low-risk outdoor activities to resume, but indoor dining at restaurants, museums, cultural facilities, and indoor shopping malls remain prohibited. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a media briefing, "Based on other states' cases, careful observation of indoor activities is still necessary," adding, "The reopening of each industry will be carefully reviewed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.