White House: Daily Pandemic Death Toll May Peak at Over 2,200 by Mid-April

President Donald Trump speaks while flanked by Dr. Anthony Fauci (L), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Vice President Mike Pence during the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the Brady Briefing room at the White House in Washington on March 31, 2020. Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Donald Trump and members of the White House task force on the CCP virus advised Americans to brace themselves for the worst days of the pandemic, citing a projection that the daily death toll may reach 2,214 by April 15 at the peak of the outbreak.

Trump struck a somber note at the opening of the daily briefing on the pandemic at the White House on Tuesday, praising front-line healthcare workers and lamenting the great loss of life.