New York, Apr 16 (IANS): The number of Covid-19 cases crossed 20 lakh globally on Wednesday, with the US topping the chart with 610,774 cases and more than 26,000 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at the Johns Hopkins University.
According to the tally, the hardest-hit state in the US, New York, saw 202,630 cases and a death toll of 10,834. New Jersey followed with 68,824 cases and 2,805 deaths. Other states with over 20,000 cases included Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and Louisiana.
Spain with over 1.77 lakh cases and Italy with over 1.62 lakh cases were second and third, respectively.
Spain reported the biggest jump in confirmed Covid-19 cases in the last one week -- taking the total number of cases to 177,633 and over 18,000 deaths -- on Wednesday, according to the country's health ministry data.
The total death toll in Italy rose to 21,645, the second highest after the US.
According to a CNN report, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that reopening the economy requires a metaphorical bridge.
"Where we're going, it's not a reopening in that we're going to open what was. We are going to a different place," Cuomo said in his daily coronavirus briefing.
"And we should go to a different place and we should go to a better place. If we don't learn the lessons from this situation, then all of this will have been in vain," Cuomo said.
He said people need to be prepared for a "new normal" as the situation continues to evolve.
"Lives lost yesterday, 752, which is the painful news of our reality day after day, and they are in our thoughts and prayers. You see 707 in hospitals, 45 in nursing homes," Cuomo was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's signature will appear on millions of Covid-19 relief cheques being sent to people who qualify for assistance to tide over the shutdown.
A Treasury Department spokesperson indirectly confirmed it by saying that adding his signature will not delay the sending of the cheques which will commence next week.
Under the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by the Congress, adults will get up to $1,200 each depending on their income and children $500 each. The payments taper off at the income limit of $75,000 and cut off at $99,000.