and we begin our coverage in the US by
President Trump has told Americans that
a rough two week period lies ahead the
United States was he said in the midst
of a great national trial unlike any it
had faced before he spoke after official
figures were released showing the US had
overtaken China in the number of kovat
19 deaths David Willis reports from the
White House came the diarist warning yet
the worst is yet to come I want every
American to be prepared for the hard
days that lie ahead we're gonna go
through a very tough two weeks and then
hopefully as the experts are predicting
as I think a lot of us are predicting
after having studied it's so hard you're
gonna start seeing some real light at
the end of the tunnel but this is going
to be a very painful very very painful
two weeks
apocalyptic projections from White House
advisors point to between a hundred
thousand and two hundred and forty
thousand Americans dying from the corona
virus more if social distancing
guidelines aren't followed as sobering a
number as that is we should be prepared
for it is it going to be that much I
hope not and I think the more we push on
the mitigation the less likelihood it
would be that number but as being
realistic we need to prepare ourselves
that that is a possibility that that's
what we will serve with more than 3,800
deaths here the number of Americans
killed by the corona virus has now
exceeded that of China of even greater
symbolic significance here the death
toll has also exceeded that of September
the 11th and in New York the epicenter
of the virus charity workers have now
set up an emergency field hospital in
Central Park the city's mayor predicts
they'll soon need triple the number of
hospital beds than are currently
available here and not even those at sea
are safe from the virus the captain of
the US aircraft carrier has called for
urgent help to halt an outbreak among
his 4,000 strong crew we're not at war
sailors do not need to die he wrote in a
letter
the Pentagon
having gone from predicting this country
would reopen by Easter President Trump
is facing the grim reality that the
coronavirus is here to stay with the US
possibly on course to become the next
Italy in this crisis it looks like
posing the greatest challenge yet to his
presidency David Willis BBC News well
the UN secretary-general Antonio
Guterres says the current coronavirus
outbreak is the biggest challenge for
the world since World War two speaking
at the launch of a UN report on the
potential impact of the pandemic mr.
Gutierrez said the UN will be helping
developing countries deal with the
impact the United Nations is
establishing a new multi partner trust
funds for kovat 19 response and recovery
to support low and middle-income
countries to respond to the emergency
and recover from the socio-economic
shock un resin organisers around the
world will be the drivers of the event
response on the ground ensuring that the
Y the diverse expertise and essence of
the United Nations system are used in
the most effective and efficient way to
support the countries well let's now
turn to Europe and start in Italy
official figures there suggest the rate
of new infections is slowing but the
number of deaths recorded each day
remains high another eight hundred and
thirty-seven people died in the past day
taking the total to almost 12 and a half
thousand among them are doctors more
than 60 have died with medical union
saying they lack the necessary equipment
to fight the outbreak our Rome
correspondent mark Lowen has more
details perhaps never again in our
lifetime will we see Rome like this
the virus is sucking the life out of
this country three weeks on Italy's
lockdown is set to be extended today
until well until the outbreak stops
killing they lowered the flags to
half-mast across the country to pay
tribute from Florence to Rome
from Italy's south to Belgium or in the
north the town worst ravaged by
coronavirus it is a symbol of national
mourning to mark a month that has torn
through Italy's heart the country with
the highest number of deaths from the
virus and the highest fatality rate
italians need to feel there's an end to
the daily loss of hundreds of lives to
the constant morning medical unions say
the huge loss of doctors here at least
66 shows a failure to protect those
trying to cure it they worked without
the right equipment like proper masks
and they weren't given them not enough
had been tested who were completely
unprepared China showed us what we
needed to do and we didn't follow it
it's like sending soldiers to war
empty-handed
unable to defend themselves we could
have avoided these deaths doctors paid
for their commitment with their lives so
young inventive Italians have stepped in
to help using 3d printing to develop a
valve that turns a sport shop snorkeling
mask into a ventilator the blueprint has
been downloaded for free a million times
by hospitals in need across the world
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the healthcare system too is improvising
Milan exhibition center converted into a
new hospital with 200 badly needed
intensive care beds Italy is being
forced to adapt to this virus running
after it but still too far behind mark
Lowe in BBC News Rome