Biden attacks Trump on virus as new milestone nears

As the death toll in the United States nears 200,000, Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden says the president "panicked, the virus was too big for him."

"Donald Trump has been bailed out. Many problems he faced with this crisis, a real crisis, the crisis that required serious presidential leadership," said Biden.

"He just wasn't up to it. He froze. He failed to act. He panicked. And Americans paid the worst price of any nation in the world. "

Biden's comments came during a visit to the swing state of Wisconsin.

The bleak milestone, will by far the highest confirmed death toll in the wordi is according to Johns Hopkins, based on figures supplied by state health authorities.

The real number of dead is thought be much higher, in part because many COVID-19 deaths, especially early on, before widespread testing, were probably ascribed to other causes.

Deaths are running at more than 770 a day on average, and a widely cited model from the University of Washington predicts the overall U.S. toll will double to 400,000 by the end of the year as schools and colleges reopen and cold weather sets in.

The sobering figure reflects America's unenviable spot, which it has held for five months, as the world's leader by far in sheer numbers of confirmed infections and deaths. Only five countries — Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil and Spain — rank higher in COVID-19 deaths per capita.

"We're being told that we can save lives," said BIden.

"if we just take a simple steps. Chief among them wearing masks and still the president refuses. In fact, we just watched him hold an indoor rally with thousands of people, many of whom weren't wearing masks, despite the clear evidence that they're putting everyone of those people's lives at risk."

Worldwide, the virus has infected more than 31 million people and killed over 960,000, by Johns Hopkins' count, though the real numbers are believed to be higher, in part because of limited testing and reporting.

The U.S. has less than 5% of the globe's population but more than 20% of the reported deaths.