COVID-19: US records nearly 1,500 deaths in a day; highest globally since outbreak

Nearly 1,500 coronavirus patients have died in the United States of America in the last 24 hours, the highest death toll to be recorded in a day since the global pandemic began.

According to a report by Yahoo News, figures obtained from the John Hopkins University shows that 1,480 coronavirus death cases were recorded from Thursday morning to Friday morning.

This highest death toll escalates the death toll in America to a total of 7,406.

These death surges have prompted President Donald Trump to advise all Americans to wear masks in public to protect themselves against the virus amidst fears that the illness that has infected more than one million people worldwide may be spreading by normal breathing.

Mr Trump said the government recommendation for all 330 million Americans to wear non-medical masks in places such as grocery stores would last “for a period of time”.

Irrespective of the widespread outbreak in the US, President Trump indicated that he will not wear the face mask as suggested adding that the wearing of the mask is voluntary.

“It’s going to be really a voluntary thing,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. “You don’t have to do it and I’m choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it and that’s OK.”

US Surgeon General, Jerome Adams said the decision came because many people with the virus were showing no symptoms, but warned it was still vital to practice “social distancing” by maintaining space between people.

Research indicates that the virus can be spread even when people just speak as opposed to coughing and sneezing.

Source: ABCNewsgh.com