US counts 61,262 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins

People wearing face coverings shop for fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and meat at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market in Santa Monica, California, August 1, 2020. The scale of economic devastation from the pandemic was laid bare on July 30 as Western economies recorded historic slumps, just as resurgent caseloads forced many countries into agonising new trade-offs between health and financial stability. Robyn Beck / AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States counted 61,262 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm Saturday (0030 GMT Sunday), according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

It was the fifth consecutive day with more than 60,000 infections recorded, according to the Baltimore-based university. There were also 1,051 deaths in the 24-hour period.

The US has now tallied more than 4.6 million cases and 154,319 deaths, making it the hardest-hit country in the world.

The new numbers came as Florida braced for the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to strengthen back into a hurricane as it approached the southeastern part of the virus-ravaged state.

Among US states, only California, with almost double Florida’s population of about 21 million people, has registered more coronavirus cases.

On Saturday, Florida reported another 179 deaths, setting a new state record and pushing its virus death toll to 6,843.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said it’s better to “just hunker down rather than sending people to the road” — with shelters usually crowded and social distancing difficult — unless the situation became more threatening.