USA toll due to Coronavirus pandemic hits new records

The number of new-coronavirus cases in the United States, already the world's highest, reached new records on Saturday, a count by Johns Hopkins University showed.

Over the past 48 hours the United States had a record 453 deaths linked to the COVID-19 illness, bringing the country's toll to 1,891 deaths since the pandemic began.

That is fewer than the 10,023 in Italy, Spain's 5,812, China's 3,299 or the 2,317 in France, the tally showed.

But the United States since Thursday has recorded the world's highest number of cases.

As of 1855 GMT Saturday, Johns Hopkins recorded 115,547 US cases. That included a 23 per cent jump of 21,309 in one day, also a record.

New York is the epicentre of the US outbreak, with more than 50,000 -- or about half -- of the country's total cases. US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was considering placing the entire state under quarantine.

New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters he did not think such a move could be legally enforceable and did not know what it would accomplish medically.