The United States on Friday became the first country to report 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as President Donald Trump signed into law a $2 trillion emergency spending bill aimed at protecting average American families and businesses from economic hardships caused by the outbreak.
The American president also used for the first time war-time powers under the Defense Production Act, under increasing pressure from state governors, to force a private company, General Motors, to ramp up production of ventilators needed to treat severely ill Covid-19 patients.
Today’s Rate
Saturday 02 Nov. 2024
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases continued to climb aggressively, meanwhile, and crossed the 100,000- mark, a first anywhere in the world. It ended Friday at 101, 657, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker; almost 14,000 more than the next worst hit Italy (86,498). China (81,897) is in third place.
The number of US deaths also continued to climb, to 1,581. New York state drove the surge with 527 fatalities (and 44,876 confirmed cases, also the most for any US state), bulk of which were accounted for by New York City, 366. Other states with high fatalities are Washington, New Jersey and California.
