On Tuesday, in his first official press briefing since April tackling the topic of the coronavirus pandemic, United States President Donald Trump announced the global crisis would likely get worse.
The statement comes as the country records a staggering surge of positive infections amid the reopening of multiple establishments, and he has urged the public to wear masks for protection against the virus.
Coronavirus worsens
Despite Trump confidently praising his administration for its response to the pandemic and the ongoing research towards a vaccine, he stated what most nations and citizens across the US feared: that the coronavirus pandemic will spread further before the country is able to control it.
According to Fox News, during the briefing, Trump said, "It will get worse before it gets better" and expressed his disappointment and grief of the matter.
The US president's cautioning comments comes weeks after he considered the virus not to be as deadly or threatening as experts claim it was and turned his focus somewhere else.
Citing the worries of his supporters that wearing face masks impede their breathing and could lead to respiratory problems, Trump has pleaded his followers to take up their masks and wear them in public to prevent the virus's spread of infection.
In his speech, Trump shared his government's request that the public wears face masks while doing social activities or when going outside.
Despite Trump's request not being the most mandating, it has been the firmest encouragement from the US president who, until recently, had downplayed the virus and Questioned if masks did help in reducing the spread of the coronavirus. He also told everyone to wear facial coverings, whether they liked to or not.
Trump cited his previous statement that the coronavirus will eventually disappear by itself, a comment that has since been criticized by Democrats, as reported by USA Today.
Also Read: $600 Unemployment Benefits to End in Days: Mitch McConnell, Republicans Encourage People to Work
Sudden change in perspective
Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Trump's official opposition Joe Biden, said that after the United States president read from his script, he simply returned to his previous stance that the coronavirus would disappear by itself, a claim that has caused deadly consequences to many Americans.
The spokesperson and adviser for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Lily Adams, did not consider Trump's briefing on Tuesday to be the president turning over a new leaf on his previous statements.
Adams noted Trump's administration believes the press briefings addressing the threat of the coronavirus pandemic will aid the Republican with his ratings but said that the more Trump talked, the more the people lost faith in him.
Trump is facing an unprecedented amount of pressure with the nation demanding him to show progress his administration has had in dealing with the pandemic as the country suffers from a surge of infection.
According to Bloomberg, polls reveal that Trump's ratings among the people are slowly but surely showing negative responses.
Pointing to advancements in the use of several drugs and ventilators, Trump touted the improvements in how Americans suffering from COVID-19 are being treated that have reduced the number of deaths by 75 percent from the peaks in April.
