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U.S. Approaches 10,000 Coronavirus Deaths Amid Dire Warnings, Ventilator Shortfall

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Topline: The U.S. is nearing 10,000 deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as President Trump predicted “a lot of death” this week, and as Ford and General Motors anticipate a possible shortfall in their rush to produce ventilators for the crushing number of hospital patients across the country.

  • The U.S. death toll stood at 9,132 as of Sunday afternoon, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
  • Trump said “there will be a lot of death” and predicted this would be “the toughest week” of the pandemic in a Saturday press briefing.
  • Ford and GM, the Washington Post reported Saturday, may not produce enough of the live-saving ventilators needed to meet the forecasted peak of coronavirus cases in mid-April.
  • Ford is aiming to produce 1,500 ventilators by the end of April, while GM’s goal is to produce 10,000 per month by mid-May⁠—but estimates say 32,000 of the devices are needed by the anticipated peak⁠—and only 10,000 are in the federal stockpile.  
  • At least 100,000 to over 200,000 people could die in the U.S. from COVID-19, according to White House projections. 
  • Although the Trump administration is urging social distancing through the end of April, nine state governors have refused to issue stay-at-home orders.

Crucial quote: “The next two weeks are extraordinarily important,” said White House coronavirus coordinator Deborah Birx Saturday. “This is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe and that means everybody doing the six-feet distancing, washing their hands.”

Key background: The coronavirus pandemic has upended everyday life in the U.S. and walloped the economy. Over 10 million American workers filed for unemployment over the past two weeks, an all-time high. Hospitals are stretched thin by a surge in critically ill patients, and some have brought in refrigerated trucks to hold the dead as morgues become overwhelmed. The Centers for Disease Control has issued new guidance for the public to wear cloth face coverings when leaving the home for essential trips, a reversal from earlier recommendations that only the sick, or caregivers, wear masks. Critics say the Trump administration was too slow in responding to the coronavirus and underprepared to handle a pandemic situation. Meanwhile, federal social distancing recommendations are in effect through the end of April, with no firm end date in sight. 

What to watch for: New York is the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, but according to the White House, new hotspots are emerging in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Washington, D.C.

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus

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