Explained: US President Donald Trump's misplaced priorities

The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, spent two months denying that the coronavirus was a serious threat.

He let the beaches in Florida function as usual and the restaurants in Texas serve beer and steak. The country has the highest number of active cases in the world and counting. The confirmed number is likely to soar when tests for the virus become more widespread.

The United States is facing an emergency of epic proportions. With over 60,000 cases, every hospital in New York is filled to the brim with coronavirus patients. It's equally bad in the 213 cities across America. 

The world's richest country has run out of masks - 91.5 per cent of American cities do not have an adequate supply of face-masks for first responders, 92.1 per cent do not have adequate test-kits, 85 per cent do not have ventilators and 62.4 per cent have not received any emergency equipment or supplies from their state.

WATCH:

Officials in states hard hit by the pandemic have pleaded with the Trump administration and manufacturers to speed up the production of ventilators to cope with a surge in patients struggling to breathe

The safety of every American is under threat, but the US President is busy celebrating his astounding TV ratings. In a series of tweets, he compared the ratings of his official briefings to primetime sitcoms.  

From downplaying the virus, Trump has now got down to normalising the pandemic. This indifference and willful neglect could spell catastrophe for an already struggling United States of America.
 

(With inputs from agencies)