The United States hit a grim milestone Friday as the COVID-19 pandemic continues: a new high of 2,000 people died in a 24-hour period.
According to Worldometers.info, which is tracking the global coronavirus pandemic, 2,035 Americans died on Friday. The three days preceding that saw death tolls above 1,900, a significant increase from Monday's 1,259 reported deaths.
The deadly virus, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, in November, has killed more than 20,000 people in the U.S. — more than any other country. The virus has also infected around 525,000 Americans, another world-leading figure.
New York has been the hardest hit state with more than 180,000 reported cases and around 8,600 deaths as of Saturday afternoon. The Empire State's total number of cases is higher than any country other than the U.S.
Despite the grim news, President Donald Trump is working on plans to reopen the country in order to get people back to work and get the economy moving again.
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