US reports 22,020 coronavirus deaths, 555,313 cases

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - More than 22,000 people in the U.S. have died from the novel coronavirus, according to data released Sunday by Johns Hopkins University.

The university study counts 20,020 fatalities and 555,313 confirmed infections while 32,988 people have recovered from the disease.

The U.S. is the country with the highest number of both coronavirus infections and deaths. Italy is the second country with the most deaths at 19,899.

The state of New York continues to be the epicenter with more than 9,385 deaths and 189,000 cases, followed by New Jersey with 2,350 deaths and 61,850 cases.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday the country would record fewer deaths compared to the 100,000 that was previously projected.

"The minimum number was 100,000 lives, and I think we’ll be substantially under that number," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"Hard to believe that if you had 60,000, you could never be happy, but that's a lot fewer than we were originally thinking.

"We're seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives," he added.

Overall, the virus has spread to 185 countries, infecting more than 1.8 million since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. The global death toll is 114,090, while 421,722 patients have recovered.