US tops 2.5 million coronavirus cases

The United States on Saturday surpassed 2.5 million coronavirus cases, a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University showed, as the world’s hardest-hit country grappled with a surge of infections in several states.

There were 2,500,419 confirmed cases in the US, according to the Baltimore-based university as of 5:30 pm (2130 GMT).

US deaths now exceed 125,000, approximately one-fourth the world total of over 495,000.

Florida on Saturday reported a record 9,585 cases in 24 hours as infections there spike. The state’s rapid reopening saw young adults flocking to beaches, boardwalks and bars.

It’s among the more than half of US states, particularly in the South and West, seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases — a dramatic setback to efforts to reopen and salvage badly battered economies.

Texas and Florida, which both have Republican governors who resisted prolonged lockdowns, have announced new restrictions on bars.