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(31 Dec 2020) U.S. President Donald Trump on October 1st 2020 predicted the "end of the pandemic is in sight."
Trump made the remarks as he addressed the annual Alfred E. Smith dinner on October 1st.
The annual fundraising dinner for Catholic charities was held virtually for the first time because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The president used the event to defend his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and hailed to contribution of Catholics to American life over the years.
Trump also praised New Yorkers for their 'grit' in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Joe Biden says President Donald Trump testing positive for coronavirus is a "bracing reminder" of the seriousness of the virus. He also says he's received two coronavirus tests, and both came back negative.
Speaking at an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Biden said he received a test in Delaware and one from "the former White House doctor" who came up to Delaware to administer the test, "and everything's clear."
The president said October 2nd that he and his wife, Melania Trump, tested positive for coronavirus. Biden was tested after spending nearly 90 minutes onstage with the president during their debate earlier this week.
Biden said he wished the president and the First Lady a full recovery and that "this is not a matter of politics." Biden said it was a "reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It is not going away automatically."
"This cannot be a partisan moment," he said. "It must be an American moment. We have to come together as a nation. I'm running as a Democrat. But I will run and govern as an American president. Whether you voted for me or against me, I will represent you."
Biden delivered the entirety of his remarks wearing a mask.
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India crossed the mark of 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths on October 3rd, putting the country's toll at nearly 10% of the global fatalities and behind only the United States and Brazil.
The Health Ministry also raised the confirmed caseload to more than 6.4 million with 79,476 new infections.
The grim milestone comes at the heels of a growing crisis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist government that has been criticised over its handling of the virus and economic impacts that have left millions jobless.
September has been India's worst month with daily cases and fatalities outstripping those in any other country.
Almost 41% of total cases and 34% of COVID-19 deaths were reported in that month alone, with nearly 1,100 people dying every day on average from the virus.
But the overall fatalities are most certainly an undercount, experts say, as deaths may have been attributed to other causes, especially in the early days when testing was extremely low for a country with a population of 1.4 billion.
India's poor track record to register mortality data even before the pandemic has further amplified questions over the actual death toll.
India's first COVID-19 death was reported on March 12. Over the next five months, the disease killed 50,000 people.
The pandemic that has saturated intensive care units and morgues and also contributed to the deaths of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses.
The Indian Medical Association on Friday said at least 500 doctors have died of the coronavirus, adding the toll could be far higher.
India also has the highest number of recovered patients in the world.
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Trump said October 5th he's leaving the hospital and will continue his recovery at the White House.
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