iStock/Narvikk(NEW YORK) — Despite wanting the U.S. economy to open up by Easter, President Donald Trump is also dealing with an accelerating rate of COVID-19 infections, particularly in New York City.
In the U.S., there are currently over 55,000 cases of COVID-19 with 801 reported deaths. In New York City, cases are slowly creeping up to 15,000 with the death toll currently at 131 as of Tuesday.
54 percent of city’s fatalities are those 75 and older. Further data shows that over 90 percent of those who succumbed to the virus had an underlying condition.
Almost half of the city’s 15,000 diagnosed cases are those ages 18 to 44.
According to the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, 56 percent of all cases in the U.S., including 60 percent of recently diagnosed cases, are coming from New York City.
In addition, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci says that the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 in NYC is eight to 10 times more than that of other areas, a finding he calls “disturbing.”
Because of this, the White House is strongly recommending that those who have traveled to or from NYC to anywhere in the country self-quarantine for 14 days.
Florida previously targeted those who visited or traveled from New York City and New Jersey, mandating that they isolate for the 14-day period.
The rise in cases has caused several health officials and state governors to criticize President Donald Trump’s desire to open the country back up by Easter, in order to bolster the economy. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio theorizes that the virus could be on track to be much worse by May than March.
The president doubled down on Tuesday that he wants to have the economy fully up and running again by Easter, saying “Easter is a very special day for many reasons. For me, for a lot of our friends, it’s a very special day. And what a great timeline this would be. Easter is our timeline, what a great timeline that would be.”
He added that his administration is “working very hard to make that a reality.”
Globally, there has been over 423,000 reported cases as of early Wednesday with 18,919 reported deaths. Of those infected, 108,619 have recovered.
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
