The US has tallied more than 1m new coronavirus cases since the start of November as the pandemic accelerates in almost all regions of the country, prompting officials to warn of a fresh strain on the healthcare system and weigh new restrictions to contain the spread of the disease.
President Donald Trump, who has been largely silent on the pandemic since losing the presidential election to Joe Biden, on Friday afternoon held a press conference to tout the success of a Pfizer vaccine and declared that he would not issue nationwide lockdown orders, as leaders in some other virus-struck nations have done.
“I will not go — this administration will not be going to a lockdown. Hopefully, the, the — whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration it will be. I guess time will tell,” Mr Trump said. “But I can tell you this administration will…