Face of Nation International : New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who leads a state that has seen almost half of all U.S. COVID-19 deaths, declared Monday “the worst is over” – if residents continue to follow rigid behavior guidelines.
The day also saw the number of worldwide confirmed coronavirus cases close in on 2 million and a sailor on the USS Theodore Roosevelt die. But there was reason for optimism. The U.S. death toll from the pandemic dipped on consecutive days during the weekend, providing hope that the most-difficult time could soon be in the nation’s rearview mirror if the trend continues.
In Washington, the White House dismissed as “ridiculous” any conjecture that President Donald Trump was firing Dr. Anthony Fauci, the medical face of the White House battle against the pandemic. Trump remains determined to “reopen” the U.S. for business as soon as possible. He’ll name a task force Tuesday charged with figuring out when and how to do it. Ogbonnaya Omenka, a public health specialist at Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, told USA TODAY a “stepwise approach” to opening up the country would likely be needed.
“Determining when to reopen is a dicey task,” Omenka said. “The decision could backfire if it turns out to be too soon.” Monday marked one month since Trump declared a national emergency. There were fewer than 2,000 confirmed cases nationwide then. (Source: USAToday News- USA)
