Biden lambasts Trump over reassuring COVID remarks; reminds him of people who lost lives

Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden on Monday, October 5, lambasted US President Donald Trump over his 'Don't Fear COVID' remarks. Despite being tested positive for the novel coronavirus the President went on to say 'Americans should not be afraid of COVID-19 or let it 'dominate your life', just before he left the Walter Reed Medical Centre military hospital where he was being treated.

Reacting to the same the democratic opponent said 'tell that to the 205,000 families who lost somebody'. The two Presidential candidates faced each other on stage in their rollercoaster debate last Wednesday just two days before the president announced his positive diagnosis to COVID-19.

Biden in his attack on the president was referring to the number of Americans who have died from coronavirus, even as the president downplays the seriousness of the disease. The former vice president also criticized Trump for ignoring the importance of masks.

"I would hope that the President having gone through what he went through will communicate the right lesson to the American people: Masks matter. They save lives", Biden said in a tweet.

"More than 200,000 Americans have died. 50,000 Americans are getting the virus every day. 1,000 a day are dying. This is a national emergency. The President should take responsibility" he said in another tweet.

Biden's remarks came just minutes after Trump concluded a four-day period of Covid-19 treatment at Walter Reed military medical center in Maryland and returned to the White House, where Trump defiantly removed his facemask as he stood on the mansion's balcony.

READ | Biden urges Trump to support nationwide mask mandate

READ | Trump returns to White House after 4-day stay at hospital

Biden leads by 14 points over Trump after first poll debate

Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s national lead over President Donald Trump has increased to 14 percentage points after last week’s chaotic presidential debate. This is Biden's highest since he entered the race, according to a Wall Street Journal poll released on Sunday.

Biden now has the backing of 53 percent of those surveyed, while Trump has 39 percent backing. The poll shows a 6-point jump for Biden from the WSJ poll conducted on September 20. Biden’s biggest lead in the poll previously was in July at 11 points.

The poll was conducted from September 30 to October 1 and was completed just before the announcement of Trump testing positive for the novel coronavirus infection. 

READ | Trump says he's leaving hospital: 'Feeling better than 20 years ago; don't fear Covid'

READ | New Jersey governor: Trump fundraiser 'put lives at risk'