Shivalik
The US has tested 1 million people in its stepped-up effort to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, while the total number of cases has increased to 164,274.
"Today we reached a historic milestone in our war against the coronavirus. Over 1 million Americans have been tested," Xinhua press agency quoted President Donald Trump as saying on Monday at a White House briefing.
Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said the US was now testing 100,000 samples each day in their effort to combat the deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the newest tally from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE), there have been a total of 164,274 confirmed cases within the US, the present highest in the world, with 3,164 deaths.
New York state, the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, has reported the most number of deaths at 914.
Meanwhile, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday issued an order directing residents to remain at home unless there's an important reason for going out, like getting food and medical aid, performing or accessing government services or engaging in essential business or travel.
It is a criminal offense to disobey the order, and other people who violate it could be looking at $5,000 in fines, imprisonment for no quite 90 days, or both, said Bowser.
"Staying at home is the best way to flatten the curve and protect yourself, your family, and our entire community from COVID-19," said the Mayor.
As of Monday, total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Washington reached 401, with nine deaths, as per the CSSE.
The District had earlier ordered all non-essential businesses to shutter, and therefore the latest order came as similar measures were taken on an equivalent day by the states of Maryland and Virginia.
New York City, where non-essential businesses also are closed till April 15 in accordance with a statewide mandate, has also tightened rules on social distancing, which experts say is important to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Local police are patrolling on the road dispersing public gatherings over the past week.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday that those that don't practice social distancing are going to be fined between $250-$500 by police.
On Monday, NY City greeted the United States Navy Ship Comfort, which brought 1,000 hospital beds and 1,200 medical personnel to assist relieve the city's overwhelmed hospital system amid COVID-19 pandemic.
The most populous city in the country has been the toughest hit with over 36,000 cases reported by Monday afternoon, data compiled by the CSSE showed.
Monday also marked the opening of the primary 1,000 temporary beds within the field hospitals assembled by the military within the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan.
