Coronavirus in US: Experts warn virus has not reached its peak as Trump rants on Twitter

At least 29 deaths in US and 1,000 cases of infection

Surgeon general Jerome Adams has told a news conference at the White House that coronavirus has not yet hits it peak.

He said: “Unfortunately, we are likely to see more deaths. We have not hit the peak of this epidemic quite yet.”

As he appeared at the event alongside vice president Mike Pence, Donald Trump was tweeting attacks on his Democratic rivals, accusing them of wanting to abolish cars and suggesting they would crash the economy.

“If you like automobiles, how can you vote for a Democrat who all want to get rid of cars, as quickly as possible, especially if they are powered by gasoline,” he said in one tweet.

“Remember also, no more than one car per family. I, on the other hand, have new plants being built all over Michigan.”

The online intervention by the president underscored the criticism many have made of him as coronavirus has continued to spread across the nation, and the government’s response has been at best faltering.

Analysts say the plunge seen by the markets points to a lack of confidence that Washington provide the national and International leadership required to steady jitters and restore confidence.

The warning from the top medical official in the nation came as the number of people infected globally by COVID-19 passed 113,000, with more than 4,000 people have lost their lives, according to a tally maintained by CNN.

In the US, the number of infected is around 1,000, while 29 deaths have been reported, most of them in Washington state.

Mr Pence on Tuesday said discussions had taken place about potential travel restrictions.

“I will tell you, we had a very thorough discussion today of the prospect of recommending to the president additional travel advisories,” Mr Pence said.

“We’re going to be bringing those recommendations forward in the time and manner that we as the White House coronavirus task force determine are appropriate. It’s literally a day to day consideration.”

Meanwhile, Washington governor Jay Inslee said he was considering mandatory measures to prevent an increase in coronavirus cases that could reach 64,000 in the state within eight weeks unless “real action” was taken.

Mr Inslee said epidemiologists warned there were likely as many as 500 to 2,000 coronavirus cases in Washington, and given the rate of spread of the highly contagious respiratory illness, the number could double every five to eight days.

Washington state cases jumped by 105 to 267 cases on Tuesday with 24 deaths, nearly all of them in the greater-Seattle area.

“Whether it’s 500 today or 1,500 or 2,000, that just goes to a very large number, very quickly,” Mr Inslee said.

Asked by reporters whether he was considering mandatory measures like school closures statewide, or just in hard-hit areas, Mr Inslee said he expected to have news on that “in very short order”.

“Shutting down any social activity has profound consequences in people’s lives,” he said. “You have to see if there are ways to reduce them or ameliorate that.”

Additional reporting by Reuters