Trump warns of 'very painful two weeks’ over COVID-19

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that the next two weeks will be “very painful" in the U.S. in terms of deaths from the novel coronavirus.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Trump urged Americans to brace for "hard days ahead," two days after saying that holding U.S. COVID-19 deaths between 100,000 to 200,000 would be "good job."

"I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead," he said. "We're going to go through a very tough two weeks.

"This is going to be a very, very painful two weeks," he stressed.

On Sunday, Trump said the death rate in the U.S. from the novel coronavirus would likely hit a peak in two weeks.

The Trump administration also extended social distancing through April 30 to curb the spread of the coronavirus, shifting his stance on re-opening the country for business by the Easter holiday on April 12.

"We will be well on our way to recovery" by June 1, Trump said Sunday.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has infected more than 850,500 people worldwide, including over 184,100 in the U.S., and killed at least 42,000, including 3,721 in the U.S.

The virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.