U.S. passes 100,000 mark in coronavirus deaths

The number of American deaths attributed to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday crossed the 100,000 threshold.

An average of 900 Americans a day have died since early February when the first known coronavirus-related death occurred. 

The 100,000 figure is taken from the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which puts the global death count at just over 350,000.

The full picture is yet to be painted as, even within the United States, officials sometimes disagree on how to count and report coronavirus deaths. 

The projected number of U.S. deaths by August will reach 132,000, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, though the number has been repeatedly adjusted down over the past several weeks.

Infection rates continue to vary from state to state. However, all states that initially imposed pandemic restrictions have begun to ease them. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Wednesday that the District would begin its phase one reopening effort on Friday. 

Essentially, all public health officials and lawmakers continue to encourage, and in some cases mandate, that residents wear masks to continue slowing and preventing the spread of the deadly virus. Recently, the mask debate has become contentious, as incidents of spats between the masked and unmasked increase across the country.