Coronavirus: Donald Trump ups prediction to 100,000 dead

Donald Trump said he now believed as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic.

Donald Trump speaks during a Fox News virtual town hall with anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Picture: AFP

US President ­Donald Trump said on Monday he now believed as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic, after the death toll passed his earlier estimates.

“We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to 100,000 people. That’s a horrible thing,” said Mr Trump, who as recently as Friday had said he hoped fewer than 100,000 Americans would die and earlier last week had talked about 60,000 to 70,000 deaths.

“I think we’re going to have a vaccine by the end of the year. The doctors would say, well you shouldn’t say that.”

COVID-19 deaths in the US climbed by 1450 in the 24 hours to Sunday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 67,674, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were more than 1.15 million cases.

Reuters, AFP