Coronavirus updates: Global death toll tops 20,000

March 25, 2020

The global death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed 20,000 on Wednesday and the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections worldwide climbed to more than 454,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the U.S., more than 61,000 people have tested positive and over 890 have died of the disease.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said more than 30,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in his state alone, adding “we’re still on the way up the mountain.”

Meanwhile, the Senate was moving forward on a sweeping $2 trillion financial relief package to help American workers, businesses and the severely strained health care system survive the still-spreading coronavirus outbreak. The unprecedented package would provide direct payments to most Americans, expand jobless benefits, provide $367 billion to small businesses, and assist state and local governments.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for detailed information on coronavirus treatment and prevention.

An FDNY medical worker wears personal protective equipment outside a COVID-19 testing site at Elmhurst Hospital Center, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York. John Minchillo/AP