North America

Demand explodes for New York food banks

by Catherine TRIOMPHE NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York food banks have become inundated with newcomers deprived of income since the near-total halt of business in the United States’ economic capital. Sacks of oranges, sweet potatoes and onions are spread over three tables at an open-air market in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in the north of Manhattan. Sterilized milk and cans of tuna and salmon cover three others. Hundreds of people came over […]

Dr. Fauci says coronavirus could claim up to 200,000 US lives

  by Brian KNOWLTON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Senior US scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci issued a cautious prediction Sunday that the novel coronavirus could claim as many as 200,000 lives in the United States, as state and local officials described increasingly desperate shortages in hard-pressed hospitals. And with stress, uncertainty and exhaustion rising across the country, House speaker Nancy Pelosi squarely blamed President Donald Trump for unnecessary loss of life by […]

US President Trump ditches hopes of quick virus bounce-back for US, extends restrictions for another month

  by Ben Sheppard and AFP bureaus Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday abandoned his timetable for life returning to normal in the United States, extending emergency coronavirus restrictions for another month, while Spain suffered its deadliest day. Trump, who had hoped to shortly re-open much of the US, said the death rate in the country was likely to increase for two weeks and announced “social distancing” guidelines […]

US sees 518 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US recorded 518 new coronavirus-linked deaths in the span of 24 hours, according to data published Sunday by Johns Hopkins University. The record toll, higher than the previous day’s increase of 453, brings the country’s total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 2,409. The number of cases shot up 21,333 in one day, the data showed. That is about the same as Saturday’s increase of […]

Trump decides against quarantine of New York region

  by Paul HANDLEY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump decided late Saturday against imposing a broad two-week lockdown on New York and its neighbors after a strong pushback from local political leaders and warnings of the panic it could spark. “A quarantine will not be necessary,” Trump tweeted, some eight hours after he stunned the New York metropolitan region, the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak, with a […]

Infant death due to COVID-19 in US shocks nation; cases reach more than 122,000 with 2,147 deaths

  (Eagle News) — The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has reached more than 122,000 with deaths rising fast and hitting 2,147, according to the virus dashboard tracking global COVID-19 cases of the Johns Hopkins University. The spike came as an infant died from the virus in the US, as more incidents of younger people, even those healthy ones, are not immune from the virus. According to the virus tracker tally of […]

South Korea virus test-kit makers approved to export to US

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Three South Korean coronavirus test-kit makers have been given the green light to export their devices to the United States, officials said Saturday. The companies won pre-approval under emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration that allows for the products to be sold in America, South Korea’s foreign ministry said, without naming the firms. The US has more confirmed cases of the coronavirus than anywhere else […]

Why the US is leading the world in confirmed coronavirus cases

  by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — From the first known patient in late January to now almost 100,000 infected, the United States has earned the unwanted distinction of leading the world in confirmed coronavirus cases. More than 1,500 people have succumbed to the COVID-19 illness — though for now the death rate remains far lower than Italy and several European countries. How did we get here? And what happens […]

Trump signs $2 trillion recovery plan as US virus cases skyrocket

  by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump signed into law Friday the $2 trillion rescue plan to salvage a US economy crippled by the novel coronavirus, on a day the nation recorded more than 100,000 confirmed cases of virus infections. Hours earlier, the House of Representatives passed the package, with lawmakers uniting to greenlight the mega-plan as the world-topping number of US COVID-19 infections surged past 104,000, […]

US coronavirus cases hit more than 104,000 as deaths reach more than 1,600

  (Eagle News) – The United States has more than 104,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 1,600 people dying from the disease, according to a COVID-19 dashboard on global cases of the John Hopkins University. As of Saturday morning, March 28, Philippine time, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US has reached 104,007 while deaths reached 1,689. The most number of deaths so far is in New York City with 450 deaths, […]

China’s President Xi tells US President Trump: China and US must ‘unite to fight virus’

  China and the United States should “unite to fight” the deadly coronavirus pandemic, President Xi Jinping said in a call with Donald Trump on Friday, as he called for the US to improve relations. The two countries have clashed in recent weeks over the virus, and Chinese state media said Xi told Trump he hoped the “US will take substantive actions to improve Sino-US relations.” He also called for the two countries to work […]

US now country with the most COVID-19 cases as record 3.3 million Americans file for unemployment

  (Eagle News) — The United States now has the most coronavirus infections in the world with a record 85,991 cases, overtaking China’s more than 81,000 cases, according to the latest data from the John Hopkins University. The total deaths in the US also increased and hit almost 1,300. US cases took a grim turn as unemployment statistics shot up with more than 3.3 million Americans applying for unemployment. This was by far the highest […]