Trump defends his stewardship as infection rates rise in several states

US president Donald Trump has defended his response to the coronavirus pandemic, as infection rates in the United States continue to rise, prompting fears of a second wave of infections in some areas of the country.

Tweeting as he left Washington for Wisconsin on Thursday, Mr Trump again referred to Covid-19 as the "China virus", arguing that the number of cases was going up "because of GREAT TESTING, while the number of deaths [mortality rate], goes way down".

“The Fake News doesn’t like telling you that!” he added.

His comments come as several states, predominantly in the south and western parts of the country, registered a record numbers of new cases. More than 38,000 new cases were reported across the country on Wednesday alone, with states like Arizona, Texas and Florida recording sharp increases.

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As well as reflecting an increase in testing, the percentage of tests coming back positive also indicated a worsening of the pandemic in certain areas.

Texas, one of the first states to reopen businesses last month, was forced to suspend the next stage of its reopening as more than 5,500 new cases were reported between Tuesday and Wednesday.

"As we experience an increase in both positive Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations, we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheque to support their families," Republican governor Greg Abbott said in a statement.

In a worrying sign for healthcare capacity, the number of people hospitalised for Covid-19 also rose sharply. Texas Medical Center in Houston said its intensive care units were at 97 per cent capacity. Hospitalisations from Covid-19 have tripled over the past month, according to the hospital, the largest in the Houston area.

Mr Abbott also gave local authorities power to limit gatherings to 100 people in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

External borders

In Florida, Republican governor Ron DeSantis indicated he had no plans to slow the reopening of the state despite it reporting a new daily high of 5,508 on Wednesday.

America has recorded more than 2.3 million coronavirus cases, and more than 120,000 deaths – the highest of any country in the world. The uptick in cases in some parts of the country, even as states in the northeast see an improvement in numbers, is weighing on the minds of EU member states as they consider reopening their external borders for inbound travel next month.

Mr Trump, who has not yet been seen wearing a face mask at any public event, contrary to public health advice in the United States, was due to tour a shipyard in Wisconsin on Thursday. The state , which he won narrowly in the 2016 election, promises to be a key battleground state in November’s presidential election.

Mr Trump has begun holding large-scale events, despite a widespread clampdown on large indoor gatherings. Eight members of the president’s re-election campaign who were involved in organising the president’s campaign rally in Tulsa last Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus. Two of those attended the event.

Criticism of Mr Trump’s handling of the crisis also intensified as a congressional watchdog said that the treasury department had sent cheques worth more than $1.4 billion to more than 1 million deceased Americans.

Individual cheques were part of the US government’s massive stimulus plan agreed by Congress as the pandemic closed large swathes of the US economy in March.

Figures released on Thursday by the Labour Department showed that another 1.48 million people filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week – bringing to 47 million the number of people who have sought unemployment assistance since March.

The US stock market remained unsteady on Thursday reflecting investor concern about the impact of a possible surge in coronavirus cases on the US economy.