The United States now has 1,012,582 confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of April 28, according to the real-time data from Johns Hopkins University. Deaths are now at 58,355, more than the American deaths recorded during the Vietnam War.
There were 58,220 American soldiers who died in Vietnam during the war that took place between 1955 to 1975, according to the US National Archives. The first patient of COVID-19 in the US was recorded in January.
To date, the country is reporting an average of 30,000 new confirmed cases and 2,000 deaths on a daily basis. The University of Washington estimates that the US could see more than 67,000 deaths by the end of May.
The comparison with the Vietnam War came as US President Donald Trump likened the fight against the virus to a battle where no one can see the enemy. Even with this grim juxtaposition, Trump is already pushing for the economy to reopen soon.
On Tuesday, reports were in that he will be signing an executive order in support of the meat businesses that will reopen upon his call. The E.O. will address liability issues that may arise between employer-employee relations. Details are not yet clear as of press time but businesses will need liability protection against lawsuits if employees contracted COVID-19 at work.
Trump has also urged different states to "seriously consider" reopening schools. His call came after 43 states, including Washington DC, decided not to open schools this academic year. On the other hand, California, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, South Dakota, and Tennessee supported distance learning. In Montana, the governor gave schools the right to decided whether they begin in-classroom learning on May 7.
In New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo supported the reopening of the construction and manufacturing jobs, noting that these two industries have at least 46,000 jobs in the central part of the state alone. The governor also said these are the industries where there is lower COVID-19 exposure for workers.
As for reopening schools, the decision may come by the end of the week. As of now, Cuomo is looking into the possibility of making a decision that is in accordance with the governments of New Jersey and Connecticut.
Cuomo, however, highlighted that reopening of parks, beaches, and waterside attractions are not part of the government's immediate plans.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the stay-at-home order will expire on Thursday. With that, retail stores, malls, restaurants, and theaters are expected to reopen by Friday. However, they would only be allowed to welcome 25% of their normal capacity. The governor said barbershops, salons, gyms, and bars will open next no later than mid-May.
