More than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, along with over 57,000 deaths.
More than 3 million cases have been recorded worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. reached the milestone on Tuesday as states across the country make plans to reopen gradually.
Though this is the official tally, the number of people who have been exposed to the virus may be much higher. A survey out of New York found that about a quarter of New York City residents sampled had coronavirus antibodies. In addition, countries such as China, where the outbreak originated, have been accused of suppressing their tallies.
U.S. jobless claims have topped 26 million over the past few weeks, but some states have begun attempting to reopen parts of their economies. Georgia stirred controversy when Gov. Brian Kemp decided to start reopening some businesses last week, receiving bipartisan criticism, including from President Trump.
Taking into account the variability of outbreaks in each state, Trump has left the timing and rollout of reopening to individual governors to decide. Some European countries that were hit by the contagion earlier than the U.S. have already begun reopening.
Despite the declining numbers of new cases in many states, there is still reticence to begin reopening on a large scale, as fears of a “second wave” of infections persist. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is researching the virus and updating guidance during the pandemic. Over the weekend, it added six new COVID-19 symptoms to its website.
