Stocks were projected to extend losses again Monday as America entered the next week in its struggle against a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 2,500 people and prompted President Donald Trump to extend social distancing and self-isolation measures until at least the end of April.
Just last week, Trump said he wanted the country — most notably, the economy — “raring to go” by Easter, but after Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that between 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could die due to the virus, Trump extended the social distancing and self-isolation timeline.
The U.S. death total stood at 2,513, with more than 143,000 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard.
“The peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks,” Trump said at a briefing Sunday. “Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won.” He estimated that by June 1, “we will be well on our way to recovery.”
