Coronavirus update: Worldwide cases pass 2.4 million, Congress nears deal to help small businesses

The number of coronavirus deaths worldwide has surpassed the 2.4 million mark, with the United States having the most, 759,785. The U.S., which has the world’s third-biggest population, is far ahead of the No. 2 country for confirmed cases, Spain, with 200,210. 

The total number of deaths in the U.S. is 166,205, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The U.S. has 40,683, with New York leading U.S. states with 14,451. However, a fewer number of virus-related hospital visits and other statistics in New York suggest the worst in that state could be over.

Protests across the U.S. increased over the weekend, as Americans are eager for governors to ease weeks-long, shelter-in-place orders to ease the spread of the virus so they can return to work. One of the weekend protests was Maryland’ state capitol, Annapolis. Gov. Larry Hogan is a Republican in a Democratic-leaning state. 

Most of the earliest opposition to continuing shelter-in-place rules, after President Trump on Thursday laid out guidelines to reopen the country, were in states with Democratic governors, including Michigan and Minnesota. 

The issue of health safety vs. restarting the economy is largely hinged on whether states have adequate virus testing – as pharmaceutical companies, academic and federal researchers, and the White House race to improve testing kits and get as many as possible into the population. Researchers have not said when a vaccine will be available.