US coronavirus death toll surpasses 6,000

The number of people in the U.S. who have died from the novel coronavirus has exceeded the 6,000 marks, according to data released early Friday by Johns Hopkins University.

The university’s running tally totalled 6,053 deaths and 245,540 cases as the U.S. fights to control the outbreak.

New York is the U.S. state worst-hit by the pandemic with more than 2,300 deaths. It has more than 92,000 cases, followed by New Jersey and California, the states with the second and third-most infections, trailing far behind with nearly 26,000 and 11,100 cases respectively.

The U.S. has become the country with the most confirmed coronavirus infections followed by Italy, Spain and Germany after the virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. It has since spread to at least 177 countries and regions.