100,000 or lesser casualties a good number for US: Trump on coronavirus death toll

During one of the COVID-19 briefings, the United States President Trump recently asserted that it the White House is able to limit the death count to 100,000, it would qualify as a "very good job". 

This is in stark contrast to his promises of reopening the US economy by Easter.

As the coronavirus death toll continued to rise in the US, Trump said the number of deaths is likely to peak around Easter.

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"Easter should be the peak number," Trump said during a briefing at the Rose Garden in the White House.

"It should start coming down-and hopefully very substantially - from that point," the US president added.

New York has been hit the hardest with the coronavirus outbreak taking a huge toll on the city even as US scientist Anthony Fauci issued a tentative prediction that COVID-19 could claim from 100,000 to 200,000 lives, which Trump described as "horrible."

Trump said he expects the US "will be well on our way to recovery" by June 1.

"June 1," the US president asserted, adding, "that's aspirational but I think we're gonna hit it."

"Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won," Trump said. 

According to the latest figures from John Hopkins University, the US has 142,106 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The death toll in the US reached 2,467 on Sunday, with Detroit and New Orleans joining New York as hotspots.

Trump said he would be issuing government's "social distancing" guidelines until April 30 to "slow the spread" of the virus, while adding that "it's very important that everyone strongly follow the guidelines."