US COVID-19 deaths now over 66,000

Coronavirus deaths in the United States climbed by 1,435 in the past 24 hours, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed Saturday, bringing the total number of fatalities to more than 66,000.

A Baltimore-based university had recorded more than 1.1 million cases in the country as of 8:30 pm Saturday (0030 GMT Sunday), with 66,224 deaths, a two percent rise from a day earlier.

The United States has by far the highest death toll of any country in the global pandemic.



The national number of infections climbed to 1,150,335 after new daily infections spiked by 35,052 on Friday. This was the third highest number of new cases in a day in America since the start of the pandemic.

New daily deaths decreased to 1,872 on Friday, however, after three days where they had soared over 2,000.

The coronavirus fatality rate in the U.S. is 5.8 percent, as of Saturday evening.

The highest number of new deaths in the past day was in New York, where 299 were reported, .

New Jersey’s fatality rate also soars above the national figures after recording 204 new deaths in the past 24 hours to bring the state’s total to 7,742.

With a fatality rate of 6.3 percent, there are 123,717 cases in New Jersey in total.

The worst fatality rate is in Michigan, however, where anti-lockdown protesters continue to voice their anger at the extension of the state’s shutdown order, arguing that only certain counties should be forced to remain staying at home.

After recording 232 new deaths in the past 24 hours, its fatality rate is 9.3 percent. That is 3.5 percent higher than the national coronavirus fatality rate.


On Thursday evening, Gov. Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order in Michigan for another four weeks, despite armed protesters storming the State Capitol Building earlier in the day.

The order bans gyms, theaters, bars and casinos from opening, and also limits restaurants to carry-out and delivery orders only.

Restaurants and allow up to five people inside at a time to pick up orders, but only if they follow social distancing guidelines by staying six feet apart.

‘Michigan now has more than 40,000 cases of COVID-19. The virus has killed more Michiganders than we lost during the Vietnam war. Extending this order is vital to the health and safety of every Michigander,’ Whitmer said as the order was issued.

‘If we work together and do our part, we can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

On Thursday, hundreds of protesters – some carrying rifles – descended on the state capitol to oppose the shutdown, many of whom were waving pro-Trump banners after the President had earlier tweeted to ‘LIBERATE MICHIGAN’. He posted similar tweets about Virginia and Minnesota.

Most of them appeared to be ignoring state social-distancing guidelines as they clustered together within six feet of each other. Few people wore masks.

Their actions were supported by President Trump on Friday, who told Gov. Whitmer to ‘give a little’ and called the protesters ”very good people but they are angry’.

California also saw protests on Friday despite remaining among the state’s with the country’s highest number of cases.

The state’s coronavirus fatality rate is at 4.1 percent but it recorded 88 new deaths in the past day. California has suffered 2,137 coronavirus deaths and has 52,296 cases.

Elsewhere, Massachusetts is extending its stay-at-home restrictions after the state recorded the fourth highest number of new deaths in the country in the past 24 hours.

Coming just below, Michigan, New York and New Jersey, the Bay State had 154 deaths, bringing its total to 3,716.

It has a fatality rate of 5.8 percent, on a par with the national rate. Massachusetts has 64,311 coronavirus cases in total.

Other state hotspots include Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Indiana. All but Illinois reported less than 100 new deaths in the past 24 hours.

Connecticut has the second highest fatality rate in the country, however, at 8.1 percent.

It has had 2,339 deaths and 28,764 cases.

The lowest fatality rate is in Utah where there have been 4,985 cases and 49 deaths. The death rate stands at 1 percent.