U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope Sunday that the country was seeing a “leveling-off” of the coronavirus crisis in some of the nation’s hot spots, saying Americans were starting to see “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

New York, the hardest-hit state, reported Sunday that for the first time in a week, deaths had fallen slightly from the day before.

Across the United States, over 321,000 people have tested positive and more than 9,100 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

“Maybe that’s a good sign,” Trump told reporters at a White House briefing, referring to the drop in fatalities in New York.

By calling the virus a monster that needed to be stopped, Trump said the U.S. has tested and received results for 1.67 million Americans.

“In the days ahead America will endure the peak of this terrible pandemic. Our warriors in this life and death battle are the incredible doctors and nurses and health care workers on the frontline of the fight.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. surgeon general warned the country faces a critical week in the crisis, saying “this is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives, quite frankly.”

Most states have ordered residents to stay home except for essential trips to slow the spread of the virus, but a few governors still resisted issuing stay-at-home orders and a handful of churches held large Palm Sunday services.

On Sunday, Trump approved disaster declaration of five states including Mississippi, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota and Delaware.

(CGTN)