The COVID-19 death toll in the United States reached 3000 on Monday, March 30 as the country grappled with the spread of the virus. Over 160,000 cases of COVID-19 were reported from across the country.
US President Donald Trump said he believes the next 30 days will be crucial to flatten the curve and stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, urging everyone in the US to practice social distancing.
Also read: US extends social distancing guidelines till April 30
“Every citizen, family, and business can make the difference in stopping the virus," Trump said. "This is our shared patriotic duty. Challenging times are ahead for the next 30 days."
Trump also said that while the administration has discussed a nationwide stay-at-home order, it would be difficult to implement and “not something we wanted to do.”
New York sends out cry for help
Of the over 3000 deaths in the US, 1200 are from New York alone, prompting Governor Andrew Cuomo to issue an urgent appeal for medical volunteers.
“Please come help us in New York now,” Cuomo said as the state's death toll climbed by more than 250 in a single day on Monday. He said an additional 1 million health care workers are needed to tackle the crisis.
“We've lost over 1,000 New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "To me, we're beyond staggering already. We've reached staggering.”
Close to 80,000 former nurses, doctors and other professionals in New York have stepped up to volunteer and a 1000-bed Navy hospital ship has been deployed to treat non-COVID-19 cases so that the burden on the healthcare system can ease a little.
While New York City is the worst hotspot, New Orleans and Detroit have also seen a number of clusters.
“Anyone who says this situation is a New York City-only situation is in a state of denial," Cuomo said. “You see this virus move across the state. You see this virus move across the nation. There is no American who is immune to this virus."
California too put out a similar appeal for medical volunteers as coronavirus hospitalisations doubled over the last four days.