US records 1,330 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours
The country now has an overall death toll of 54,841, with 964,937 confirmed infections. PHOTO | FILE | AFP
What you need to know:
- The country now has an overall death toll of 54,841, with 964,937 confirmed infections.
- The United States is by far the hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, in terms of both confirmed infections and deaths.
- Trump appears to have halted his daily televised briefings on the virus after suggesting that patients might be injected with disinfectant to kill an infection.
The United States recorded 1,330 more novel coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, according to figures reported late Sunday by the Johns Hopkins University.
The country now has an overall death toll of 54,841, with 964,937 confirmed infections, according to a tally by the Baltimore-based institution at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Monday).
The United States is by far the hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, in terms of both confirmed infections and deaths.
The 24-hour US death toll was 2,494 late Saturday, and 1,258 on Friday evening -- the lowest in nearly three weeks -- as the government struggles to quell the virus.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed reports he was considering sacking health secretary Alex Azar as criticism mounts over the US response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, who risks losing public support ahead of the November election due to the climbing death toll, lashed out over stories on CNN and other media outlets.
"Reports that H.H.S. Secretary Alex Azar is going to be 'fired' by me are Fake News," Trump wrote on Twitter.
"They are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public."
ATTACKS FOX NEWS
Trump renewed his attacks on Fox News, which he targets when its generally supportive broadcasting veers into criticism.
"No respect for the people running @FoxNews. But Fox keeps on plugging to try and become politically correct," he said.
"The people who are watching @FoxNews... are angry. They want an alternative now. So do I!"
He separately threatened lawsuits over his media coverage, and asked the "Noble Committee" to rescind awards -- presumed to be a reference to the Nobel Prize, which has no journalism category.
Trump appears to have halted his daily televised briefings on the virus after suggesting that patients might be injected with disinfectant to kill an infection.
He later claimed he had been speaking "sarcastically."
More than 54,000 Americans have died from the novel coronavirus.
OIL PRICES
US oil prices fell heavily Monday on renewed concerns over storage capacity as the coronavirus throttles demand, even as producers start slashing output to boost markets.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was down 9.3 percent at $15.36 a barrel in Asian morning trade. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was off 3.2 percent at $20.75 a barrel.
