By Agency Reporter
U.S. President Donald Trump has falsely accused doctors of profiting from COVID-19 deaths, with the virus exploding in many states.
However, his challenger Joe Biden said Trump had surrendered to the pandemic.
Both rivals on Friday sought support in Midwestern states where the coronavirus has roared back.
In Wisconsin, where new cases doubled last week, Trump urged the state’s Democratic governor to lift restrictions that aim to slow the virus’s spread.
Most in the crowd of several thousand did not wear masks.
“You’ve got to open up your state and you’ve got to do it fast!” Trump said at the rally, with just four days to go before the election.
Earlier in the day in Michigan, Trump attacked the U.S. medical system, falsely saying: “Our doctors get more money if someone dies from COVID.”
In Minnesota, Biden accused Trump of “giving up” in the fight against the virus and said he should not attack medical personnel who are treating its victims.
“Unlike Donald Trump, we will not surrender to this virus,” he said. Supporters, socially distanced in their cars at the state fairground, and honked their horns in agreement.
The coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 229,000 people in the United States and cost millions more their jobs, has dominated the final days of the campaign.
A record surge of cases is pushing hospitals to the brink of capacity.
The news pushed Wall Street to its worst week since March, undercutting one of Trump’s main arguments for re-election.
Trump, who recovered from COVID-19 weeks ago, has played down the health crisis for months, telling supporters in recent weeks that the country is “turning the corner” even as cases surge.
Biden has warned of a “dark winter” ahead and promised a renewed effort to contain the virus.
