COVID-19: Trump hidden for the first time, a record of contamination in the United States

Donald Trump has been seen for the first time Saturday, wearing a protective mask in public.

Share

11 July 2020 18h03

Updated at 23h39

Share

COVID-19: Trump hidden for the first time, a record of contamination in the United States

AFP

Agence France-Presse

BETHESDA — The president, Donald Trump appeared for the first time Saturday, wearing in public a mask of protection against the coronavirus, the day when the United States recorded a new record of contamination.

This first appearance hidden of the president, during a visit to the military hospital Walter Reed in the suburbs of Washington, has a strong symbolic value in the United States at the time where the epidemic is expanding, particularly in southern States such as Florida or Texas.

The COVID-19 also continues to grow rapidly in Latin America, where the balances come to exceed 71 000 people died in Brazil 11 000 in Chile and 11 000 also in Peru.

Since the emergence of the virus, Mr. Trump had avoided showing himself in public with a mask, even as the port for this protection is recommended by the u.s. health authorities.

He had contributed to make this issue an issue of political controversy, since the refusal to wear the mask is seen in a part of american society as an assertion of the individual freedom of the citizen in the face of the authorities, federal and international.

Photos AP, Patrick Semansky

“It depends on the time”

Saturday evening, Mr. Trump has put on a mask dark blue for visit of us military wounded in battle at Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington.

“When you speak with soldiers who are just leaving the operating table, I think it is something very nice to wear a mask”, he told the press before the visit. “I’ve never been against the mask, but I am convinced that it depends on the time and the place”.

The United States is by far the country most heavily affected by the pandemic, with more than 134 000 – 134 729 according to the counting done on Saturday by the Johns Hopkins university. According to figures from the university of Baltimore in which reference is made, the country recorded Saturday, a new record of contamination with 66 528 cases in 24 hours.

Heavy balance sheets in Latin America

In Latin America, it is Brazil which is the most heavily reached: the official report on the date of Saturday, was 1 839 850 confirmed cases of contamination and 71 469 deaths, 1 of which 214 in the last 24 hours.

In Chile, the balance sheet is 11 272 deaths, according to data released Saturday by the ministry of Health, which include, as recommended by the criteria of the world health Organization (WHO) 3 484 cases as “probable” deaths from the virus.

Peru had Saturday 322 710 cases and 11 682 deaths, according to the ministry of Health. And Colombia has officially surpassed Saturday, with the threshold of 5 000 deaths.

Since its appearance in December in China, the COVID-19 has killed more than 561 000 people worldwide and affected almost $ 12.6 million.

Two WHO experts, an epidemiologist, and a specialist in animal health, should initiate an exploratory mission in China.

In announcing Friday that these experts went to Beijing, the spokesman of the organization, Margaret Harris, said that they would have interviews with chinese officials and would determine the places that the future survey mission must visit.

“One of the biggest questions is whether the virus was transmitted to humans by an animal and what animal it is”, said Ms Harris.

In recent days, new outbreaks appeared in Europe, the continent most mournful with more than 200 000 deaths (2.8 million cases), but the situation seems to be under control for the moment.

In Israel, thousands of people gathered on Saturday in Tel Aviv to protest against the management of the epidemic and its consequences by the government.

Le Soleil