Johns Hopkins University has confirmed that the number of COVID-19 deaths in the US has crossed 1 lakh-mark with the current death toll being 100,271. The US has recorded more COVID-19 deaths than any other country. The country has also reported 16.9 lakh positive coronavirus cases, making it 30% of the number of cases reported from around the globe.
The number of deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic has stood at 353,414, while 56 lakh people have tested positive for the deadly virus across the world.
President Donald Trump has insisted that the death toll would have been significantly higher without the steps taken by his administration. Trump said on Tuesday that the virus would have killed 25 times more people than the number that currently stands.
His claim was sharply contradicted by the Columbia University, which said that around 36,000 fewer people would have succumbed to the virus had Trump acted in time to fight the pandemic.
On 20 May, Trump had said that this was a ‘badge of honour’ for him that the US had the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Speaking at the White House, he had said, “I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing because it means our testing is much better.”
He had told reporter, “By the way, you know when you say that we lead in cases, that’s because we have more testing than anybody else.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s popularity ratings have taken a serious beating ahead of this year’s presidential polls. A poll on Wednesday said that only 42% potential voters felt that the Trump administration had performed well in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, while a whopping 57% criticised his handling of the crisis.