United States President Joe Biden talks about his government’s plans to respond to the economic crisis during a coronavirus response event (COVID-19) in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington on January 22, 2021 .
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
President Joe Biden painted a bleak picture of the country’s coronavirus outbreak in his early days in office, warning that it will take months to reverse the path of the pandemic and that fatalities are expected to increase dramatically in the coming weeks.
“Many United States are suffering. The virus is increasing. We expect 400,000 dead to reach more than 600,000,” said Biden on Friday, before signing two executive orders aimed at reducing hunger and strengthening workers’ rights amid pandemic.
The United States surpassed 400,000 total Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, with a quarter of them occurring in the previous 36 days, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On Biden’s first full day as president on Thursday, he told reporters after a meeting with his Covid-19 advisers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, that the nation would likely reach 500,000 Covid-19 deaths in February.
Biden warned on Friday that as the outbreak continues, “there is nothing we can do to change the path of the pandemic in the coming months”. The president has repeatedly warned that the situation may get worse before it gets better.
The United States has reported a decline in Covid-19 cases in recent days, a glimpse of hope after an increase since the fall and during the winter holiday season. The US is reporting an average of about 187,593 new Covid-19 cases per day, a 22% decline compared to a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data.
However, the country is still “in a very serious situation,” said Fauci during his first press conference at the White House under the new government on Thursday, noting the country’s high death toll and the limited capacity of hospitals.
Fauci said the daily number of cases, based on a weekly average, appears to be stabilizing and changing. It is possible that the drop may still be due to a reduction in reporting after the holiday, he added.
“When we see this, we think it is real,” said Fauci.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.