US coronavirus deaths surpass 20,000

WASHINGTON

The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus in the U.S. crossed the 20,000 mark early Sunday, according to data by Johns Hopkins University.

The university's running tally counted 20,608 deaths and 529,951 cases as the U.S. struggles to curb the outbreak.

The U.S. leads the world in deaths from the virus after Italy reported 19,468, followed by Spain with 16,606.

Nearly 32,000 patients have recovered in the U.S., according to the data.

The state of New York continues to be the epicenter with more than 8,600 deaths, followed by New Jersey with nearly 2,200.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday the country would record fewer deaths compared to the 100,000 that was previously projected.

"The minimum number was 100,000 lives and I think we’ll be substantially under that number," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Hard to believe that if you had 60,000, you could never be happy, but that's a lot fewer than we were originally thinking."

"We're seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives," he added.

Overall, the virus has spread to 185 countries, infecting more than 1.7 million since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. The global death toll is 108,804, while nearly 405,000 patients have recovered.