US entering ‘most deadly phase’ of coronavirus outbreak as Americans head to polls

Additional hygiene precautions were put in place at polling stations

Credit: CHET STRANGE/AFP 

The White House’s top coronavirus advisor has warned officials that the US is entering the “most deadly” phase yet of the Covid-19 outbreak, as the virus loomed large on Election Day.

Dr Deborah Birx, the administration’s coronavirus task force coordinator, heeded the warning in a private memo to the White House as the nation’s daily coronavirus count approached 100,000, in direct contradiction of President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that the pandemic is “rounding the corner.”

“We are entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic,” Dr Birx wrote. “This is not about lockdowns — it hasn’t been about lockdowns since March or April. It’s about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented.”

Unlike Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Birx has not publicly clashed with Mr Trump over his approach to dealing with the outbreak.

The warning came as millions of Americans took to polling stations up and down the country, armed with facemasks and hand sanitisers.

An unprecedented 100 million Americans decided to vote early this year amid coronavirus concerns

Credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency

Some faced temperature checks before they were allowed to enter the booths, while some stations were offering antibacterial wipes.

Election officials ensured voters lined up outside polling stations, limiting the amount of time they spent indoors.

“I worry about the virus, we all do, but I heard about the challenges to try to stop mail-in votes being counted so I didn’t want to risk it,” Glenn Goldstein, 61, told The Telegraph outside a polling station in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

An unprecedented 100 million Americans decided to vote early this year — nearly 70 per cent of the total number of votes cast in 2016 — partly over coronavirus concerns.

While some opted to vote early in-person, many more decided to mail-in their ballot to avoid contact at the polls.

Voters queued outside in order to minimise time spent indoors

Credit: Xinhua/Shutterstock

With more than 90,000 testing positive for the virus every day in the US, there had been fears that many voters would be unable to cast their ballot.

The Telegraph spoke to one such voter in New York, who tested positive on Friday and was concerned she would not be able to go to the polls.

She applied for an emergency same-day ballot on Monday, which arrived at her door later that day with an envelope and a stamp.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared on Tuesday, however, that people who are in quarantine or sick with the coronavirus are allowed to vote in person, providing they wear a mask, stay six feet apart from others and wash their hands before and after voting.

The agency also recommended voters bring their own supplies, including a black ink pen, an extra mask and tissues.

Experts have been warning the administration that the outbreak could worsen as much of the country enters winter.

“We’re in for a whole lot of hurt,” Dr Fauci said, predicting a long and potentially deadly winter unless there’s an “abrupt change” — prompting Mr Trump to suggest that he planned to fire the scientist after the election.

Mr Trump has sidelined scientists who have given negative predictions on the spread of the virus as he makes his bid for re-election.