'US conducts highest COVID-19 tests in world, India stands second': Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that no other country comes close to the United States in conducting COVID-19 tests while stating that India stands second. While the US has tested nearly 65 million people for coronavirus, India has conducted 11 million tests, he said. Trump further asserted that a vaccine would be developed by the end of the year and made available for people soon after that.

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"We have tested close to 65 million people and no country is even close to that number. India would be second at 11 million (tests) and they have 1.5 billion people. We have the number one testing in the world by far and also the highest quality tests," Trump told reporters. "I feel strongly that we will have a vaccine by the end of the year and it will be put into service as soon as we get it," he added.

Trump pointed out that there has been a decline in COVID-19 cases by 14% in the last seven days in the United States. Along with this, hospitalisations have decreased by 7% and fatalities decreased by 9%, he added.

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COVID-19 spread in the US

As per Johns Hopkins University, the total number of COVID-19 cases stood at US 5,075,678 on Monday. The US currently has the highest number of reported cases in the world, making it the epicentre of the deadly virus. The deadly coronavirus which originated in China's Wuhan last year has quickly spread all over the world, the virus named COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation has infected 19,379,517 people worldwide and the global death toll stands at 721,375. 

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(With inputs from agency) (Image credits: AP)