US coronavirus deaths could surpass 100,000 by June

Washington: The number of coronavirus deaths could surpass 100,000 by June 1, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The 12 forecasting models in the United States tracked by the CDC are predicting an increase in deaths in the coming weeks and this grim milestone, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield tweeted.

As of Friday, more than 1.4 million people in the US have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 87,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the CDC’s prediction, the number of new coronavirus cases reported each day is going down in more than half of US states, according to an analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

Twenty-eight states have seen a downward trend, including several that took steps toward reopening relatively early like Georgia and South Carolina.

A notable exception is Texas, where case numbers are up between 20% and 30% since the state began lifting stay-home restrictions on May 1. On Thursday, the Lone Star State reported it’s highest single-day increase in fatalities with 58 new deaths.

In all, seven states are still experiencing upward trends in case numbers, while numbers appear to be holding steady in 15 others.

Parts of New York state — long the epicenter of the US outbreak — started a phased reopening on Friday.

Five regions — Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier — have met the seven criteria required to start phase one of the state’s reopening plan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Some industries like construction and manufacturing will be allowed to resume. Retail will remain limited to curbside or in-store pickup.

But a stay-at-home order has been extended until May 28 for other regions, including New York City and Long Island, unless they meet several requirements, including 14-day declines in hospitalizations and deaths.

Parts of Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and Oregon started lifting some restrictions Friday. By Sunday, 48 states will have partially reopened.

States are taking steps to allow summer outdoor activities. Cuomo announced Friday that beaches in his state would reopen by Memorial Day weekend, similarly to beaches in neighboring New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware.

In New York’s case, beaches can’t exceed 50% capacity. Picnic areas will be closed and social distancing enforced. Visitors must have masks and wear them when they cannot social distance.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has said her state plans to allow summer and youth camps to operate in-person beginning June 29. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that depriving children of activities like summer camps “would be a big mistake” but he hasn’t made a decision yet.

In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that a new council will start planning what a path to reopening schools in the state will look like.

“I’m asking this group of state leaders to work together to develop a road map and framework for helping us decide when it is safe to return and what that return looks like. They’re incorporating all of the public health data that we have, and all that we have learned and have continued to learn about this virus,” she said.

The Transportation Security Administration is working on a plan to begin checking passengers’ temperatures at a number of US airports, a federal health official told CNN.

The plan was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said the program could begin as soon as next week.

A decision has not been made about specific health screenings at airports, a TSA spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he was not supportive of temperature checks.

“I cannot find any law that gives TSA the authority to perform temperature checks as reported,” Thompson said. “The health and safety of our Transportation Security Officers have already been put at great risk the past few months. The Administration should not put these frontline workers in further danger in order to provide passengers a potential false sense of safety.”

As finding a vaccine and treatment for the virus remains a top priority, President Donald Trump announced Friday what he called “Operation Warp Speed” to develop a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.

Trump named Moncef Slaoui, former head of the vaccines division at GlaxoSmithKline, to lead the effort alongside Army Gen. Gustave Perna, who describe the endeavor as a “Herculean task.”

“We think we are going to have a vaccine in the pretty near future,” Trump said, “and if we do, we are going to really be a big step ahead.”

Health experts have said that timeline is highly ambitious because of the lengthy process of researching and testing vaccine candidates.

There are 118 potential Covid-19 vaccines in development around the world, the World Health Organization says. Eight are in clinical trials in several countries, including the US, the United Kingdom and China.

But health experts are warning the US is still lagging behind in testing.

While not every person who tests positive will need treatment, testing ensures most of the cases are identified and traced, said Dr. Richard Besser, the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Every case that’s out there could be the spark that starts another outbreak in your community that gets out of control,” he said.

With the right measures, countries can suppress transmission and avoid bouncing back-and-forth between lockdown and lifting restrictions, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead for the Covid-19 response at the World Health Organization.