Washington: The United States recorded nearly 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 between Thursday and Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the worst 24-hour death toll globally since the pandemic began.
With 1,480 deaths counted between 8:30 pm (0030 GMT) Thursday and the same time Friday, according to the university’s continuously updated figures, the total number of people who have died since the start of the pandemic in the United States is now 7,406.
Trump issues advisory
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) announced new guidelines as issued by CDC (Centers for Disease Control) advising the use of “non-medical cloth-based” face coverings.
He said this to media during the White House Coronavirus Taskforce Press briefing, “I don’t think I’m going to be doing it… Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens…I just don’t see it”.
President Trump, however, emphasised that the advisory by CDC is just a precautionary measure and Americans should only wear masks voluntarily.
Death toll in US
The US coronavirus death toll passed 7, 000 on Friday afternoon. The total number of cases in the country crossed 277,000.