US President Joe Biden speaks of his administration’s plans to respond to the economic crisis during a response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, January 22, 2021.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
President Joe Biden has painted a bleak picture of the country’s coronavirus outbreak during his first few days in office, warning that it will take months to reverse the trajectory of the pandemic and that the number of fatalities is expected to be less will increase dramatically in the coming weeks.
“Much of America is suffering. The virus is on the rise. There are 400,000 deaths expected to reach more than 600,000,” Biden said Friday before signing two executive orders designed to reduce hunger and strengthen workers’ rights during the pandemic.
The US surpassed 400,000 total Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, a quarter of them in the past 36 days, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. On Biden’s first full day as president on Thursday, he told reporters after meeting his Covid-19 advisers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, that the nation would likely have more than 500,000 Covid-19 deaths by February.
Biden warned Friday that as the outbreak continues, “there is nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the coming months.” The president has repeatedly warned that the situation is likely to worsen before it improves.
The United States has reported a drop in Covid-19 cases in recent days, a ray of hope after a wave since the fall and over the winter holidays. According to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data, the US reports an average of about 187,593 new Covid-19 cases per day, down 22% from a week ago.
However, the nation is still “in a very dire situation,” Fauci said during his first appearance at the White House under the new administration on Thursday, noting that the country has a high death toll and strained hospital capacity.
Fauci said the daily number of cases, based on a weekly average, appears to be leveling off and reversing. It’s possible the dip is still the result of reduced post-holiday reporting, he added.
“When we see that, we think it’s real,” Fauci said.
This is a story in progress. Check back later for updates.