As the official death toll for the Covid-19 surpasses the half a million mark today, the world continues to grapple with the deadly pandemic that first made headlines December of last year.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the US fatality count has reached 125,800, roughly a quarter of the total 502,000.
Cases have seen a surge in many states across the country with Saturday recording 9,585 new confirmed cases, the largest single day surge in the US to date.
US President Donald Trump has attributed the surge in new cases to increased testing and has called for easing of restrictions. However, states like California, Texas, Arizona, and New Jersey has rolled back previous plans to reopen due to the rising number of infections.
"There are crowds. They are not physical distancing, and they are not wearing masks. That's a recipe for disaster," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said.
Health officials continues to advice the general public to observe social distancing, wearing masks, and frequent handwashing in order to curb the spread of the infection.