Coronavirus Update: World infection rate crosses 1 million, US braces for next tough jobless report

The number of coronavirus infections worldwide has reached the 1 million mark. 

In the United States, the number of infections is now at 245,573 and the number of virus-related deaths is more than 6,000. Americans are now several weeks into the stay-at-home requirements imposed nationwide to slow the communal spread of the virus, with the standing, April 30 endline still more than three weeks away. 

The White House late Wednesday stopped short of telling Americans they must wear face masks to slow the spread, particularly to curtail the number of asymptomatic people infecting others. 

However, they told Americans that an acceptable alternative is wearing face covers like scarves. 

On Thursday morning, U.S. officials will release the March unemployment report, one day after the Labor Department reported the number of first-time jobless claims for the week ending March 28 was 6.6 million – the most telltale sign so far of the virus' impact on the economy. 

However, analysts do not expect the monthly report to show a severe spike in unemployment because it won’t include last week’s jobless claims.