As tens of thousands of people defied lockdown restrictions to protest George Floyd's death on Saturday, the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States surpassed 110,000 Saturday, according to NBC News' accounting of virus data.
The nation has seen 1,916,237 cases and 110,041 deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data. The global death toll crossed 400,000, according to John Hopkins University statistics.
Elsewhere India reported 9,971 new cases Sunday in another biggest single-day spike and has now surpassed Spain as the fifth hardest-hit by the pandemic with 246,628 confirmed cases and 6,929 fatalities.
Fears continue to mount over the growing number of cases in Latin America, particularly Brazil where almost 673,000 cases have been recorded and over 36,000 people have died, according to John Hopkins University data.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus, plus a timeline of the most critical moments:
- MAPS: Confirmed cases in the U.S. and worldwide; confirmed deaths in the U.S. and globally
- Reopening America: See what states across the U.S. have already reopened.
- The coronavirus has destroyed the job market in every state. See the per-state jobless numbers and how they’ve changed.
Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak.
This live coverage has now ended. Continuing reading June 8 coverage here.
NYPD transportation chief dies from COVID-19
Global coronavirus death toll tops 400,000 as protesters continue to defy lockdowns
The coronavirus pandemic has now claimed more than 400,000 lives, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. More than a quarter of these were in the U.S., according to the NBC News' tally.
The grisly toll was reached after tens of thousands of people around the world defied COVID-19 lockdown restrictions to protest against the death of the death of George Floyd, a black man who died under the knee of a former Minnesota police officer last month. More protests are planned for Sunday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned about the dangers of such protests on Friday. He told told Washington D.C. radio station WTOP that he was “very concerned” about large crowds congregating in geographic areas where there is active infection transmission.
More than 5,000 cases confirmed in Florida in 4 days
Florida reported more than 1,000 confirmed cases on Saturday, the fourth straight day of cases hitting that threshold as the state continues with its reopening plan.
The Florida Department of Health reported 1,270 new cases Saturday and another 28 deaths, bringing the state's total to 62,758 cases. More than 5,000 cases have been confirmed in the state between Wednesday and Saturday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chose to go ahead with the second phase of the state's reopening plan Friday despite the new numbers. As of Friday places such as movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys and arcades can begin operating at a 50 percent capacity.
View this graphic on nbcnews.comSoccer World Cup to go on as planned despite the pandemic
The 2022 soccer World Cup will go on as planned despite the coronavirus pandemic, host country Qatar said Saturday.
The event could be a "cure for the world," Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the U.K.'s Sky News. Sky News and NBC News are both owned by Comcast.
“Qatar is working very closely and strongly with different healthcare organizations to make sure to deliver a healthy and safe World Cup,” he said.
He added the designs of the stadiums will comply with any changes to health and safety guidance as a result of COVID-19. The Gulf nation has so far reported more than 67,000 virus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
India reports almost 10,000 new cases on the day before lockdown ends
India reported 9,971 new virus cases Sunday in another biggest single-day spike, according to the Ministry of Health, a day before it prepares to reopen shopping malls, hotels and religious places after a 10-week lockdown.
India has now surpassed Spain as the fifth hardest-hit by the pandemic globally with 246,628 confirmed cases and 6,929 fatalities.
India has already partially restored train services and domestic flights and allowed shops and manufacturing to reopen. E-commerce companies have started to deliver goods, including those considered nonessential, to places outside containment zones.
South Korea reports over 50 cases for second day in a row
South Korea recorded more than 50 cases for the second day in a row on Sunday as authorities continue to work to suppress a spike in fresh infections in the country's capital Seoul metropolitan area.
The additional 57 cases reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday took the country’s total to 11,776 cases, while the death toll has remained 273 deaths for the fifth consecutive day. The agency said 10,552 people have recovered.
South Korea’s high caseload peaked in early March, and aggressive tracing and testing prompted authorities to ease strict social distancing rules. The country has since seen an increase in new infections — mostly in the densely-populated Seoul region — linked to nightclub-goers and warehouse workers.
China defends COVID-19 response in new report
Chinese officials released a lengthy report on the nation’s response to the pandemic on Sunday, which defended the government’s actions and said that the country had provided information in a timely and transparent manner.
National Health Commission Chairman Ma Xiaowei said Sunday that a recent news media report that the Chinese government didn’t initially share the genome sequence for the virus “seriously goes against the facts.”
However, an Associated Press investigation found that government labs sat on releasing the genetic map of the virus for more than a week in January, delaying its identification in a third country and the sharing of information needed to develop tests, drugs and a vaccine.
The report entitled “Fighting COVID-19: China in Action” lauded China’s success in reducing the daily increase in new virus cases to single digits within about two months as well as the “decisive victory... in the battle to defend Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan” in about three months, according to state media. Wuhan — where the first cases of the new virus were detected late last year — was the hardest hit part of China in the outbreak.
U.K. health minister: Protests against police brutality "undoubtedly a risk" for coronavirus spread
Protests against police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis are "undoubtedly a risk" for increasing the spread of coronavirus, Britain's health minister said Sunday.
"I support very strongly the argument that's being made by those who are protesting for more equality and against discrimination," Matt Hancock said in an interview with Britain's Sky News Sunday. "But the virus itself doesn't discriminate and gathering in large groups is temporarily against the rules, precisely because it increases the risk of the spread of this virus."
With the number of deaths in the U.K. now exceeding 40,000, London remains under partial lockdown, but mass gatherings are still banned and many businesses are still shuttered.
"I would urge people to make their argument, and I will support you in making that argument," Hancock said. "But please don't spread this virus, which has already done so much damage and which we are starting to get under control."