[Anchor]
Over 143,000 people in the United States have contracted the novel coronavirus.
According to data by Johns Hopkins University, as of early Monday, more than 2,500 American patients have died from COVID-19.
President Donald Trump said the death rate will likely peak in two weeks as he extended social distancing guidelines until April 30.
Ron Chang has the details.
[Reporter]
Trump said Sunday he was extending the "social distancing" guidelines to "slow the spread" of the virus.
He said he expects the country will be well on its way to recovery by June 1, dropping his previous target of Easter some two weeks later.
His comments came as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, made a grim projection, saying the COVID-19 outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans.
Fauci added that millions in the U.S. could become infected.
The state of New York still remains the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., with nearly 60,000 infections and over 1,000 deaths.
New York City has borne the brunt of the outbreak.
Mayor Bill De Blasio has warned that without reinforcements, the city will run out of masks, gowns and other hospital supplies in a week.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, warned that every major city remains vulnerable to the virus.
[Clip: Birx: 00:09]
"Every metro area should assume that they could have an outbreak equivalent to New York and do everything right now to prevent it."
She said when COVID-19 does reach different cities, residents should avoid traveling to other areas to prevent the spread of the disease.
Ron Chang, eFM News.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
