Coronavirus Update: White House Projects At Least 100,000 Deaths

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are approaching 200,000 in the U.S., with more than 4,000 deaths so far. Yesterday, the White House Coronavirus Task Force projected between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths in the U.S., even if social-distancing measures are kept in place. “This could be a hell of a bad two weeks,” said President Trump. Cases continue to grow across the country, with 25 states now reporting more than 1,000 cases. Yesterday, a technical issue prevented the Washington state Department of Health from reporting new case and death numbers.

New York continues to struggle in its fight against coronavirus. While the growth rate in new cases has fallen, the sheer number of infected individuals — more than 75,000 — is alarming. For comparison, the case growth rate in New York has far exceeded that of Lombardy, the hardest-hit region of Italy. However, Lombardy has seen a much higher death toll, likely due to its high proportion of elderly people.

1,550 people have died from COVID-19 complications in New York. The death tolls in Michigan, New Jersey, and Louisiana are also rising at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, domestic testing has stalled. The rapid growth in tests administered last week has not kept up. Yesterday, the U.S. tested fewer than 100,000 people.