Covid-19: US death toll soars to 8,000+ as Trump warns of “a lot death in coming weeks”

US President Donald Trump warned that “there will be a lot of death in coming weeks” as the nation’s death toll from coronavirus (Covid-19) jumped to 8,291 on Saturday.

“This will be probably the toughest week – this week and next week,” said Trump during the White House briefing. “And there will be a lot of death, unfortunately. But a lot less death than if this wasn’t done,” he said referring to the recent social distancing measures.

According to the latest Johns Hopkins University data, around 305,820 people in the US have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 8,291 have died from it. New York remains the epicentre of the virus in the US, registering the most cases (113,833) and deaths (3,565) to date, followed by New Jersey (34,124 cases and 846 deaths), Michigan (14,225 cases and 540 deaths) and California (12,764 cases and 288 deaths).

All States, apart from eight, have issued stay-at-home orders, but Trump refuses to enforce a nationwide order, pointing out: “We have a thing called the Constitution.”

White House experts have predicted that the US death toll will be at least 100,000 – that’s if citizens strictly abide by federal social distancing guidelines, and warn that the numbers will be much higher if they don’t. The government now has also advised all Americans to wear a face mask or covering when they are out in public, although Trump said he “won’t be wearing one.”