Six weeks after the report of the first death attributed to the Coronavirus, the death toll in the United States hit a grim milestone on Saturday, as over 20,000 people in the U.S. have now died from the virus outbreak, with the number of confirmed cases now over a half million and rising.
The surge in deaths continues to be led by the state of New York, which reported 783 more on Saturday, where it's basically been for the past four days.
"It's stabilizing, but it's stabilizing at a horrific rate," said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).
New Jersey on Saturday reported an additional 251 deaths, raising the death toll in the state to 2,183.
The latest increases in the death toll and the number of positive tests for the Coronavirus came a day after the U.S. reported more than 2,000 deaths for the first time in one day, exactly six weeks after officials reported the first COVID-19 death in Washington State.
It took from February 29 until April 6 for the U.S. to record 10,000 deaths from the virus - but it took only five days to go from 10,000 to 20,000 deaths.
Even as the death toll continued to grow, elected officials said social distancing efforts were working, slowing the number of new cases of the virus.
"We’re slowing the rate by which new cases are doubling," said Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey (D).
The surge in deaths - openly predicted by the White House last weekend - was being felt in big cities and small.
“This week, more than ever, we wish life could return to the way it was just a mere 4 weeks ago," said Scott Steiner, the head of the Phoebe Putney Health System in Albany, Georgia, which continues to fight a deadly virus cluster in a county of only 91,000 people.
69 people have died in Dougherty County around Albany, the highest of any county in the state of Georgia.
"This is the end of the week - that famous week we spoke about last weekend," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. agency that deals with infectious diseases, told reporters on Friday afternoon at the White house.
Fauci and other health officials again urged Americans to continue their efforts on Easter weekend at social distancing, saying that should include staying away from any religious services, in order to slow the Coronavirus.
"It's imperative that we all continue to implement all of the guidance in the 30 days to slow the spread," said Vice President Mike Pence.
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