President Donald Trump this weekend bluntly warned Americans to prepare for what his team said could be one of the roughest weeks yet against the Coronavirus, as the U.S. has now had four consecutive days with over 1,000 new deaths related to the virus outbreak.
"This will be probably be the toughest week," the President told reporters at a Saturday briefing. "There will be a lot of death, unfortunately."
Top federal health officials agreed with that assessment.
"Right now, we're seeing - as well all said correctly - that this is probably going to be a really bad week," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert for the U.S. government.
Fauci joined the President in again urging Americans to do what they can to limit their social activities, and thus limit the spread of the virus.
"The only tool - but the best tool that we have - is mitigation," Fauci told reporters at a Sunday night White House briefing.
Fauci reminded reporters that the measures being taken by Americans in terms of social distancing take about two and a half weeks to show up in terms of fewer cases, and a drop in the number of deaths.
"People really understand the responsibility they have for themselves, their family and for the country," Fauci said at the White House.
Fauci's colleague, Dr. Deborah Birx, told reporters that health officials continue to see the most problems in the New York City metro area, as well as in New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole.
Birx also name-checked Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington State, Illinois, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. - where there have been rumblings in recent days about a possible broader spread of the virus.
"We do see hopeful signs in Spain and Italy. They have completed nearly four weeks of mitigation," Birx said, telling Americans they should follow the lead of those nations in terms of social distancing, as a way to stop the spread of the virus.
During Sunday's briefing, the President repeated his endorsement of the use of hydroxychloroquine - a drug often associated with malaria treatment - to be used against the Coronavirus.
"What really do we have to lose?" the President asked reporters at one point, encouraging people to use the drug, even though it has not been specifically found to stop the virus.
"It may not work, in which case, hey - it didn't work," the President said at one point. "And it may work, in which case, it may save a lot of lives."
"If it does help, great," Mr. Trump added. "If it doesn't help, we gave it a shot."
The President's promotion of hydroxychloriquine has drawn concerns from Fauci - who has noted the lack of broader trials - but Mr. Trump has pressed forward with the idea, bolstered by support among GOP lawmakers and conservative media.
On Sunday, when one reporter tried to ask Fauci his opinion, the President stepped in and did not let Fauci answer.
"You know how many times he's answered that question?" the President said to a reporter from CNN. "15 times. You don't have to ask that question. He's answered that question 15 times."
The death toll from the Coronavirus in the U.S. will go over 10,000 people on Monday.
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