Italy reported 756 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday taking the total number of fatalities to 10,779 as it continues to pay the heaviest price in the world from the contagion.
Spain's health ministry announced 838 new coronavirus deaths, marking the country's highest daily jump in fatalities and bringing its total to 6,528.
In New York, the death toll surged by 237 in 24 hours, and the state announced 7,195 new cases.
Worldwide, the number of cases has reached more than 710,000. Some 149,000 people have recovered, while more than 33,000 have died.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he would extend nationwide social distancing guidelines for another 30 days, an abrupt back-down from his push to reopen the country as coronavirus continues to spread.
The 15-day guidelines Trump announced
two weeks ago were set to expire on Monday, and the President had suggested over the past week that he was looking to relax them, at least in some parts of the country. He even
floated Easter, on April 12, as a potential date by which the country could return to normal.
But on Sunday he said he'd decided to extend the guidelines -- which include suggested limits on large gatherings -- to April 30, a sign his earlier predictions were overly rosy.
"The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end," the President said Sunday at a White House news conference. He said he would be finalizing a new plan and strategy early this week and announcing the details on Tuesday.
The announcement marked an abrupt turnaround from a week ago when Trump said he was convinced the distancing restrictions were causing irreparable damage to the economy.
SOURCE: CNN & ALJAZEERA
