Coronavirus death toll tops 80,000 in US as states begin reopening

Confirmed deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 have surpassed 80,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The U.S. now has at least 80,000 confirmed deaths due to coronavirus, with more than 1.3 million confirmed cases, according to the latest data on May 11. There are more than 4 million confirmed cases worldwide, and nearly 285,000 people have died from COVID-19.

Trump addressed the crisis during a briefing on Monday, according to Politico.

“We have met the moment and we have prevailed. Americans do whatever it takes to find solutions, pioneer breakthroughs, and harness the energies we need to achieve a total victory,” Trump said.

Trump later clarified he was talking about COVID-19 testing, according to The Guardian.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Friday that the state, which has been the epicenter of the pandemic, was “finally ahead” of the virus, according to NBC New York.

“We have shown that we can control the beast,” Cuomo said Friday, according to NBC New York. “We are finally ahead of this virus and we are in control of our destiny.”

Cuomo said in an interview on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on Thursday that some areas of New York could reopen “in about a week” from the executive order that closed all non-essential businesses until May 15, according to NBC.

Several states have begun reopening, including Texas, Georgia and Florida, while states including Washington, California and New York remain locked down, according to The New York Times.

The death toll in New York passed 20,000 on Thursday, with more than 200 people dying a day, according to Bloomberg.

Last month, New York was reporting more than 700 deaths a day, according to Bloomberg.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Coronavirus death toll tops 80,000 in US as states begin reopening."