US coronavirus deaths top 40,000

Coronavirus-related deaths in the US topped 40,000 with New York on Sunday recording nearly half of all fatalities. 

 Governor Andrew Cuomo said the coronavirus curve is "on the descent" after hospitalisations and deaths continue to fall.

It took the United States 38 days after recording its first fatality on February 29 to reach 10,000 deaths on April 6, but only five more days to reach 20,000 dead, according to a tally.

The United States' toll increased to 40,000 from 30,000 in four days after including untested but probable Covid-19 deaths reported by New York City.

The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 744,000 infections. New cases on Saturday rose by nearly 29,000, the lowest increase in three days.

More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month as closures of businesses and schools and severe travel restrictions have hammered the economy.

New York continued to see hospitalisations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day.


Dhaka/Mukul