Associated Press/Patrick Semansky
President Donald Trump speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Saturday, April 4, 2020, in Washington.
- President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that "there will be a lot of death" and the United States could be facing its "toughest week" yet in the fight against coronavirus.
- Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus task force coordinator, told reporters that the New York City, Detroit, and New Orleans areas would hit the peak of their outbreaks in six or seven days.
- New York state has been reporting hundreds of deaths daily, and hit a record 630 deaths within 24 hours, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in a Saturday press conference.
- As of Saturday afternoon, more than 300,000 coronavirus cases had been reported across the US, with 8,376 deaths.
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President Donald Trump on Saturday warned the United States could be facing its "toughest week" in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak sweeping across the country.
"This will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week," he said. "There will be a lot of death, unfortunately, but a lot less death than if this wasn't done. But there will be death."
He said New York City, which has become the epicenter of the US's outbreak, will soon receive a deployment of 1,000 military personnel, including doctors, nurses, and respiratory specialists.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus task force coordinator, also emphasized the coming days and weeks as crucial in halting the spread of the virus.
"The next two weeks are extraordinarily important," Birx told reporters.
Associated Press/Patrick Semansky
Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Saturday, April 4, 2020, in Washington.
She said models have shown that New York, Detroit, and New Orleans and their surrounding areas are "hotspots" that will likely hit the peak of their outbreaks within the next week.
"They're all on the upside of their curve of mortality," she said.
New York state has been reporting hundreds of deaths daily, and hit a record 630 deaths within 24 hours, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in a Saturday press conference.
Cuomo also reported that the outbreak's peak would likely hit within the seven-day range.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 300,000 coronavirus cases had been reported across the US, with 8,376 deaths.
Cuomo said the death toll for New York state has risen to 3,565.
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