Stocks on Friday were rising on Wall Streets in an apparent approval of plans by President Donald Trump and some governors for a phased reopening of local economies, although a dramatic jump of 4,591 in the daily U.S. death toll Thursday underscored the relentless nature of the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest fatality figures for the U.S., as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, pushed the total death toll in the country to 33,288 early Friday. Wednesday saw the previous record high daily deaths, at 2,494.
It’s not immediately clear what caused Thursday’s huge spike, but the CDC began including “probable” cases in its death count earlier this week.
Trump on Thursday announced his “Opening Up America Again” guidelines that include three phases. “Some states will open sooner than others,” Trump said Thursday. “We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time.”
There will be at least one significant reopening on Friday. In Jacksonville, Florida, city parks and beaches will open for “essential activities” including walking and biking for a couple of hours in the morning and evening.
There are over 671,400 coronavirus cases in the U.S. and over 2.1 million worldwide Friday, according to John Hopkins University data.
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