Amid virus, White House warns Americans to avoid going out — even to grocery stores, if possible

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Americans are strongly advised to avoid going out — even for essential activities like grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions — as the coronavirus pandemic is expected to hit a deadly apex in the next two weeks.

President Donald Trump warned the worst is yet to come.

“This will probably be the toughest week – between this week and next week,’ Trump said in a coronavirus briefing over the weekend.

“There will be a lot of death, unfortunately … there will be death,” he warned.

“The next two weeks are extraordinarily important,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx warned at the press briefing.

“This is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe,” Birx warned.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 1.27 million people and killed over 69,000 people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said this week is going to be the “hardest and the saddest” for “most Americans’ lives.” The US has recorded more than 337,000 cases and over 9,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.