Coronavirus Deaths in the U.S. Pass 1,000, Says Johns Hopkins

(Bloomberg) -- Over 1,000 people in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University.

That puts the U.S.’s death toll just behind France, which has 1,331 deaths. Italy has suffered the highest death roll in the widening global pandemic, with more than 7,500 deaths as of Thursday. Globally, over 470,000 people have been infected while over 21,000 have died.

The grim milestone comes as cases of infection in the U.S. rapidly increase and the World Health Organization warned that the country could become the next hub of the worldwide outbreak. Patients in the U.S. have complained of not being able to access tests, while doctors say they’re already facing shortages of medical equipment and supplies.

The U.S. Senate is poised to vote Wednesday night on a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package after moving past a last-minute dispute over expanded unemployment benefits for low-wage workers.

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