US Reports Nearly 2,000 Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours; Trump Announces To Put Hold On WHO Funding

The US on Wednesday reported nearly 2,000 coronavirus deaths in a single day, which was highest anywhere in the world since the outbreak began in December last year. According to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 live tracker, the daily death tally stood at 1,939. So far, 12,893 Americans have lost their lives dues to the COVID-19 infection. New York is the worst-hit with over 4,000 deaths. Globally, over 80,000 deaths have been reported as of Wednesday. The US also has the highest number of confirmed cases around the globe.

In a somber message, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that 'The death toll of this pandemic is more than a number. Behind the numbers are human beings and families and grief and pain and heartbreak. We can't become numb to it.' As the nation grapples with the pandemic, President Donald Trump accused the Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization of being 'China-centric'. He has announced that the US will put the funding on hold for the global health organization for failing to alert everyone about the viral infection in time. 

"We're going to put a hold on money spent on the WHO. We're going to put a very powerful hold on it and we're going to see. It's a great thing if it works. But when they call every shot wrong, that's no good," Trump told reporters at his daily White House news conference. "We pay for a majority or the biggest portion of their money. They actually criticized and disagreed with my travel ban at the time I did it. They were wrong. They've been wrong about a lot of things. They had a lot of information early and they didn't want to -- they're very -- they seem to be very China-centric," Trump charged during his news conference. The United States is the largest contributor to the WHO.

The situation remains grim in all regions of the US. The latest reports say that a newborn baby in Louisiana died after a mother with the coronavirus went into premature labour. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered that employees and customers must wear face coverings when they go to essential businesses. CNN reports that North Dakota has launched a mobile phone app to help in contact-tracing. However, despite all concerns, the primary elections are going on as scheduled in Wisconsin. The record number of fatalities in the last 24 hours shows that some cities in the US are experiencing the peak of the pandemic. The officials say that majority of the Americans are practicing social distancing, which may help in lowering the overall death estimates.

The US is also trying hard to protect its businesses amid the global health crisis. The New York Times reports that the US Congress is likely to approve an additional $250 billion in aid for 'small business'. The American healthcare system is also bracing for the 'worst', experts say. According to a report by the Washington Post, the hospitals across the US are now formulating a new set of rules to ration the care given to the patients. This means like Italy, now doctors and medical staff will have to choose and decide on who gets the ventilator. States like Maryland are forming ‘strike teams’ to combat nursing home virus outbreaks, the Washington Post report said.

(With agency inputs)