Spotlight stays on testing in US

While the United States marked that grim milestone of 80,000 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, US President Donald Trump praised his administration's response to the pandemic, saying "we have met the moment, and we have prevailed" on testing.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the US had reported 1,347,936 cases of the novel coronavirus as of early Tuesday, far and away the most reported by any country.

The US death toll from COVID-19 had reached 81,795, just as almost every state has made plans to partially reopen some businesses, something critics fear might contribute to an increase in the daily reports of fatalities.

On Monday, Trump said the US is "testing more people per capita than South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Finland and many other countries, in some cases combined".

Trump also announced that his administration would give $1 billion to states to increase testing capabilities. But the actual figure, the administration said earlier on Monday, was about $11 billion.

The president dismissed talk that there was a breakdown in White House measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus after two members of the staff tested positive.

Earlier, the White House issued a directive asking most officials to wear masks or face coverings in public spaces. Trump didn't wear a face mask during the news conference but all the reporters asking Trump questions on Monday were wearing face masks.

Partial reopening

It was also announced on Monday that parts of New York state and California will reopen this week, but New York City, the city hit the hardest in the US, won't reopen nonessential businesses and allow large gatherings until June.

The city's rate of new hospitalizations, the number of available hospital beds and intensive care beds remain short of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's thresholds, saying that the city met only four of seven criteria required to reopen.

Cuomo also said new research showing that the coronavirus spread from Europe to New York was a factor in the early failures to contain the outbreak.

Cuomo on Friday noted it was too late for US to eventually ban travelers from Europe on March 16, citing that 3 million Europeans came through New York's airports from December to March.

As many countries are gradually easing their anti-epidemic measures, the World Health Organization on Monday said that a "slow, steady easing of lockdown measures will be key in stimulating economies while keeping a vigilant eye on the novel coronavirus".

The organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said many countries have used the lockdown time to ramp up their ability to test, trace, isolate and care for patients, which he said is the best way to track the virus, slow the spread, and take pressure off the health systems.

The health body also published further guidance on the weekend to address the criteria for lifting lockdown measures.

Agencies contributed to this story.