Trump Suggests Media Actually Isn’t Covering Covid Enough, Since Virus Is ‘Running Wild All Over The World’

Topline

President Donald Trump, who has continually complained that media overplays the Covid-19 pandemic, seemed to suddenly call for more coverage Saturday, saying the media should focus more on the pandemic outside of the United States—even though the U.S. daily rate for new cases is more than four times higher any other nation.

Key Facts

Big Number

169,595. That’s how many new cases the U.S. is adding, on average, every day, according to Johns Hopkins University. That’s more than four times the rate of any other country and by far the highest ever reported anywhere in the world.

Key Background

Signs show the coronavirus spike continuing to worsen in the United States. Records for new cases keep coming several times a week, and hospitalizations are also at record levels. Since hospitalizations lag behind cases, it would follow that as long as cases continue to spike, so will hospitalizations. Health officials in many parts of the U.S. are warning that health care systems are on the verge of being overwhelmed. Deaths, which lag behind increases in both, are starting to spike at an increasingly fast pace. More than 1,800 deaths have been reported each of the past three days, a level that hasn’t been seen in over six months.

What To Watch For

Many western European countries put strict new lockdown measures in place after major Covid spikes. The lockdowns appear to have been effective, as cases are again decreasing. There seems to be no appetite for new U.S. restrictions from Trump’s administration, though. The White House praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for vowing not to bring any new restrictions, even as cases, hospitalizations and deaths spike in those large states.

Further Reading

Trump tweets about election results and skips session on pandemic during G20 (CNN)

G20 Meets On Coronavirus As Trump Makes 298th Golf Trip Of Presidency (Forbes)

Turkey reports record daily number of new COVID-19 patients (The Associated Press)

Nearly 200,000 New U.S. Covid Infections Friday—Over 82,000 Americans Hospitalized (Forbes)

England Will Go On New Lockdown After Coronavirus Spike (Forbes)

Covid Spikes In The Biggest States—But Republican Governors Say No Shutdowns This Time (Forbes)

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