Trump says no need to test entire US for virus

President Donald Trump says there is no need to test the entire U.S. population amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We're going to do testing. But you don't need to test 325 to 350 million people because, number one, it's unnecessary," said Trump.

"Vast numbers, vast areas of our country don't need this. I think you agree with me on that. You just don't need it. Now we have certain hotspots."

Trump's comments comes as the worldwide number of deaths tracked by Johns Hopkins University hit a bleak milestone of 100,000 since late December, when the outbreak emerged in China. More than 1.6 million people around the globe have been infected, by the university's count.

The true number of lives lost is believed to be much higher because of limited testing, cover-ups by some governments, and different counting practices.

For example, in places like New York, Italy and Spain, many victims who died outside a hospital - say, in a home or a nursing home - have not been counted.

The U.S. had over 18,000 dead, putting it on track to overtake Italy as the country with the highest death toll. Almost a half-million Americans were confirmed infected.

President Trump also spoke about fighting for financial help for Boeing and other businesses and a look foward to the fourth quarter of the year for a lift in the economy following the pandemic's effect on the country.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

(Image Credit: AP)