US coronavirus death toll climbs past 19,500: Reuters tally

U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus topped 19,500 on Saturday while the number of infections rose past half a million over the Easter weekend, according to a Reuters tally.

The number of U.S. deaths is the second highest in the world but may soon overtake Italy, which has a much smaller population, when it updates its figures later on Saturday.

The United States has seen its highest death tolls to date in the pandemic with roughly 2,000 deaths a day reported for the last four days in a row.

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Public health experts have warned that the U.S. death toll could spike to 200,000 over the summer if unprecedented stay-at-home orders that have closed businesses and kept most Americans indoors are lifted after 30 days.

The stay-at-home orders imposed in recent weeks across 42 of the 50 states have taken a huge toll on American commerce, with some economists forecasting job losses of up to 20 million by month's end, raising questions about how long business closures and travel restrictions can be sustained.

Globally, there have been more than 1.6 million confirmed cases, with the death toll surpassing 103,000.