The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the United States topped has topped two million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, as health officials urge anyone who took part in massive protests for racial justice to get tested.
The pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 112,900 people in the US, which leads the world in the number of confirmed infections with 2,000,464, according to the Baltimore-based school's latest count.
The world's leading economic power is by far the country most affected by the pandemic, both in terms of the number of reported deaths - 112,833 - and the number of diagnosed cases.
Laboratory technician takes a swab test for COVID-19 Source: Getty Images
The US continues to record around 20,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day, and is struggling to come down from that plateau as the level of infections wax and wane in different parts of the country.
In Texas and North Carolina, for example, there are currently more COVID-19 patients hospitalised than there were a month ago.
With half a million tests performed per day, the country is the world champion in screening per capita.
According to an average of 11 epidemiological models conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the US is expected to approach 130,000 by 4 July, Independence Day.
Recent increases in cases are likely a result of more people moving about and resuming some business and pleasure activities as all 50 states gradually reopen.
Health officials believe the first US coronavirus cases appeared in January and the country recorded 1 million cases by 28 April.
Health officials urged anyone who took part in nationwide protests for racial justice to get tested. Experts fear that the protests, with no social distancing, that have occurred since the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody could lead to another spike in cases.
But Vice President Mike Pence said he saw no sign of that.
"What I can tell you is that, at this point, we don't see an increase in new cases now, nearly two weeks on from when the first protests took effect," Mr Pence said in an interview on Fox Business Network.
"Many people at protests were wearing masks and engaging in some social distancing."
Additional reporting by Reuters.
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