1,480 Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours In The US, But Donald Trump Says Wearing Masks 'Voluntary'

The United States recorded nearly 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 between Thursday and Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the worst 24-hour death toll globally since the pandemic began.

With 1,480 deaths counted between 8:30 pm (0030 GMT) on Thursday and the same time Friday, according to the university''s continuously updated figures, the total number of people who have died since the start of the pandemic in the United States is now 7,406.

The US government has advised all Americans to wear masks in public to protect against the new coronavirus, fearing the illness that has infected more than one million people worldwide may be spreading by normal breathing.

US President Donald Trump said the government recommendation for all 330 million Americans to wear non-medical masks in places such as grocery stores would last "for a period of time."

"It's going to be really a voluntary thing," Trump told reporters. "You don't have to do it and I'm choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it and that's okay."

The novel was first identified in China in late December last year, health experts have said it is primarily spread through coughing and sneezing.

Reuters

The US is already facing a huge shortage of masks and Trump has been criticised for awful handling of the pandemic, which has led to thousands of deaths in the country.

Europe is also facing a severe shortage of masks just as the US as both heavily rely on China for imports.

Trump urged Americans to "just make something" or use scarves, saving clinical masks for health professionals and patients.