The spike in deaths comes as President Donald Trump and White House health officials warn of a “very painful” two-week period in which cases and deaths are expected to increase. Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the lead members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has said that more than 200,000 Americans could die from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus even as current restrictions remain in place.
“Our country is in the midst of a great national trial,” President Donald Trump said in a White House briefing on Wednesday. “We’re going to go through a very tough two weeks.”
New York state, and particularly New York City, remains the hardest-hit area. More than 1,300 people have died in the city to date, researchers said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a Wednesday press conference that the state could see as many as 16,000 deaths after citing one model that shows the trajectory of the virus.
“If you believe these numbers, 16,000 deaths in New York, that means you’re going to have tens of thousands of deaths outside of New York,” he said. Some experts say that “it’s a New York problem today” but “tomorrow, it’s a Kansas problem and a Texas problem and a New Mexico problem,” Cuomo said.
In recent days, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada, and Pennsylvania implemented or extended stay-at-home orders.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order on Wednesday extending the state of emergency and formally declaring a state of disaster over the CCP virus. More than 330 people have died so far in the state.