COVID-19-related deaths in US surge past 10,000

The United States death toll from the novel coronavirus topped 10,000 on Monday (local time), according to Johns Hopkins University statistics.

The US has the third-highest number of reported deaths from the disease in the world, only exceeded by Italy with 15,887 and Spain with 13,055, Al Jazeera reported.

White House medical experts have forecast that between 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die as a result of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, even if sweeping orders to stay home are followed.

The US had entered what an official called the "peak death week" of the coronavirus on Monday, while a watchdog report said that hospitals were struggling to maintain and expand the capacity to care for infected patients.

"It's going to be the peak hospitalisation, peak ICU [intensive care unit] week and unfortunately, peak death week," Admiral Brett Giroir, a physician and member of the White House coronavirus task force, was quoted by the American media.

More than 90 per cent of Americans are under stay-at-home orders issued by state governors while eight states are still holding out on imposing such restrictions.

The report, based on a national survey, dated in March, showed that "severe shortages" of testing supplies and long waits for test results were limiting the ability of hospitals to keep track of the health of staff and patients, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said.

"Hospitals also described substantial challenges maintaining and expanding capacity to care for patients," said the report, described as a snapshot of the issues hospitals faced in mid-March. Efforts were being made to address those issues, it said.

The watchdog said "inconsistent guidance from federal, state, and local authorities" was confusing hospitals and the public, while widespread shortages of personal protective equipment put hospital staff and patients at risk.