According to data from Johns Hopkins University, more than 2,000 people died in the United States following positive tests for the novel coronavirus.
The death rate has increased exponentially, with about a month passing between the first death of the nation and its 1,000th.
Authorities across the U.S. are urgently trying to stop the disease's aggressive spread. Testing continues to be carried out across the country that is experiencing regular increases in the number of cases identified.
According to the latest data of Johns Hopkins University, almost 500 coronavirus-related deaths were reported Saturday, up from 1,544 confirmed deaths 24 hours previously.
Physicians and health care workers around the nation have warned of serious shortages of critical medical devices, such as respirators, and protective gear like face masks, gowns, gloves, among others.
There were 122,766 cases of coronavirus in the United States and 2,147 deaths as of Saturday evening. In particular, the state of New York has become a virus hotspot, with the highest number of cases in any American state.
US President Donald Trump proposed a mandatory two-week quarantine and travel ban on New York City, the epicenter of the nation's epidemic, and the surrounding area on Saturday - just to recant the proposal later that night.
That US coronavirus cases is expected to rise steadily in the coming days and weeks, and health officials say that due to lack of testing, the number is likely to increase. According to Johns Hopkins, around 18,000 new cases were reported on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Johns Hopkins added that New York had reported the most deaths, followed by Washington, New York and Louisiana.
Trump said he wants to relax public restrictions and begin opening up the country to the world, against the advice of public health authorities.
The epidemic is still growing, with thousands of new cases and deaths following attempts to "flatten the curve." The social distancing toll can be calculated in millions of new jobless claims, a $2 trillion stimulus bill and a slight boost to Trump's approval ratings.
Health care services are spread thin, and shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders have been enacted by states and communities around the country in an attempt to mitigate the pandemic.
Meanwhile, about 30,000 people have died across the world, and more than 657,000 have been reported to have been sickened by the disease. According to the World Health Organization, more than 200 nations, regions, and territories have reported cases.
