US surpasses 700,000 coronavirus cases

The United States on Friday passed 700,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University.

US surpasses 700,000 coronavirus cases

Medics check on a patient who declined to go to the hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S., April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

With the highest number of cases and deaths of any country in the world, the US had recorded 700,282 cases of Covid-19 and 36,773 deaths as of 8:30pm (0030 GMT Friday), according to the Baltimore-based university.

That marked an increase of 3,856 deaths in the past 24 hours, but that figure likely includes “probable” virus-linked deaths, which had not previously been counted.

This week, New York City said it would add 3,778 “probable” virus deaths to its official count.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave a toll Friday night of 33,049 dead, including 4,226 probable virus-linked deaths.

The United States has seen the highest death toll in the world in the coronavirus pandemic, ahead of Italy (22,745 deaths) although its population is just a fifth of that of the US.