As of 4 AM Friday morning, this is the chart of the total coronavirus death count in the US.
At least 16,686 people have died with nearly half of those deaths in New York.
Researchers say the US will reach its highest daily number of deaths on or around Sunday and its highest use of resources such as hospital beds and ventilators on or around Saturday.
And top White House task force members say fewer people will die from coronavirus than previously predicted.
Research models initially estimated about 82,000 people would die by August.
But on Wednesday that estimate was lowered to 60,000.
White House coronavirus response coordinator Doctor Deborah Birx said the decrease in numbers is a direct result of Americans adopting to social distancing practices.
The virus attack rate has lowered and the need for hospital beds is going down as well.
Doctor Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, even says summer vacations, baseball games, weddings and family reunions are a possibility.
But he stresses that will only happen if Americans continue with its current progress in social distancing practices to control the spread of the virus.
And while President Trump is eager to get workers and the economy going again as early as May, medical experts warned against time lines.
Experts say the virus is going to tell us when it’s safe to open the country again, not the government.
Posted – 4.10.20