NEW YORK: Death toll in the United States due to coronavirus topped 14,600 on Wednesday, the second highest reported number in the world after New York reported 799 deaths in a day.
Italy has the most reported deaths in the world at 17,669 and Spain is in third place with 14,555.
New York, the hardest-hit state in America, on Wednesday reported its highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day with even veteran doctors and nurses expressing shock at the speed with which patients were declining and dying.
The number of coronavirus cases in New York state alone approached 150,000 on Wednesday, even as authorities warned the state’s official death tally may understate the true number.
“Every number is a face, “ said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ordered flags flown at half-staff across New York in recognition of the toll. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
Cuomo said 779 people died in the past day in his state. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said 275 had died there. Both totals exceeded one-day records reported just a day earlier.
US officials warned Americans to expect alarming numbers of coronavirus deaths this week, even as an influential university model on Wednesday scaled back its projected US pandemic death toll by 26 per cent to 60,000. US deaths set a new daily record with over 1,900 new deaths reported in a single day, reports said.
Doctors and nurses say it isn’t just elderly or patients with underlying health conditions who appear to be fine one minute and at death’s door the next. It can happen for the young and healthy, too. Patients look fine, feel fine, then you turn around and they’re unresponsive, doctors said.
New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, where the virus has infected more than 415,000 people.
European countries, including hardest-hit Italy and Spain, have started looking ahead to easing lockdowns but their coronavirus-related fatality rates have fluctuated after initially showing a decline.
Italy imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 9 to slow the spread of the virus and Spain followed on March 14. New York state required all residents to stay home except for essential businesses on March 20 and now more than 94% of Americans are under similar orders.
Read more: United States reports about 2,000 fatalities in record single-day jump
