By Akanimo Sampson
Deaths from the rampaging coronavirus in the United States have hit 7,381, and four so far in Nigeria.
A total of 28,667 new cases and 1,094 deaths were reported on Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
This includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all repatriated cases.
Wyoming is the only state not reporting a death from the killer virus.
The US has the world’s largest outbreak of the virus, with more than 275,000 infections, with Italy, the next most hard-hit country has about 120,000 infections with 14,681 deaths.
President Donald Trump says he has invoked the Defence Production Act to prevent crucial medical supplies from being exported to other countries.
The Department of Health and Human Services has seized nearly 200,000 N95 respirators, 130,000 surgical masks, 600,000 gloves, as well as “many, many, many bottles and disinfectant sprays that were being hoarded,” Trump says.
Trump has been in a public shouting match with 3M over its export commitments.
White House Trade Adviser, Peter Navarro, said on Thursday that the administration has had concerns about whether the company’s production around the world is being delivered to the US.
3M responded on Friday that there will be “significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to health-care workers in Canada and Latin America.”
In the meantime, governors of Alabama and Missouri, two holdout states on placing strict limitations on residents, say they will adopt stay-at-home orders.
Alabama’s rules take effect at 5 p.m this Saturday. Governor Kay Ivey says in a tweet that she had done everything possible to avoid the step, but “late yesterday, it became obvious that more had to be done.”
In Missouri, Governor Mike Parson says his order will begin on Monday and last through April 24.
