Three Million Americans Have Now Had COVID-19, 131,000 Dead

The total number of those infected by the coronavirus in the U.S. has now surpassed three million.

In an announcement by Johns Hopkins University the milestone was acknowledged after the United States broke its own single day record for the number of new cases reported.

More than 60,000 new cases were reported on Tuesday – surpassing the 55,200 cases seen on July 2nd.

California and Texas both reported numbers in excess of 10,000 for the day.

Over 131,000 people have now died in America since the start of the pandemic.

Yet, despite the recent spike, President Donald Trump’s White House is reportedly pushing for ‘re-openings’ in areas now including schools.

Speaking to the gathered media, President Trump’s number two, and the leader of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, Mike Pence, has said that the rules put in place to help counter the spread of COVID-19 should not be “too tough”.

Vice-President Pence, on a visit to the US Department of Education yesterday went on record trying to defend the administration’s pandemic response saying: “While we mourn with those who mourn, because of what the American people have done, because of the extraordinary work of our healthcare workers around the country, we are encouraged that the average fatality rate continues to be low and steady,”

“The president said today we just don’t want the guidance to be too tough,” Mr Pence continued, adding “(T)hat’s the reason why, next week, CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools, five different documents that will be giving even more clarity on the guidance going forward.”