Covid-19: US death toll crosses 50,000

Washington: The death toll due to the coronavirus pandemic in the US crossed the 50,000 mark on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In the last 24 hours until Friday morning, as many as 3,176 people died from the coronavirus in the US, the university said.

It is one of the highest recorded numbers of death anywhere in the world since the pandemic began in China's Wuhan city last year.


Globally, the COVID-19 cases exceeded 2.7 million, with more than 192,000 dead, the university said.

The US accounted for nearly a third of the total number of cases, exceeding 869,000, and over a quarter of the fatalities with 50,031, a sombre landmark for the country.

America has been the worst affected country by the deadly coronavirus, which broke out in China's Wuhan city last year.

In the US, more than 95 per cent of the country's 330 million people are under stay-at-home order as a result of the social mitigation measures, including social distancing, being enforced till May 1.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday indicated that the stay-at-home order might be extended beyond May 1, but vehemently advocated the need to gradually open up the economy.