Coronavirus updates: North Carolina sees new single-day record of cases

Nearly 6.8 million people worldwide -- including almost 1.9 million in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. While efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak continue, states have begun to shift their focus toward reopening their economies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking cases in the U.S. here.

Live updates for Saturday, June 6, continue below:

North Carolina sees new single-day record 1,370 new COVID-19 cases

Update 5:01 p.m. EDT June 6: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,370 new confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday, the highest daily increase so far, WSOC-TV reported.

This is the second consecutive day that the state has broken its record for a single-day case increase. The previous highest one-day increase was 1,289, which was set just the day before.

The additional 1,370 new COVID-19 cases bring the state’s total to 34,625.

There have been 992 deaths from the coronavirus in North Carolina.

Cuomo plans to speed up reopening of houses of worship

Update 1:13 p.m. EDT June 6: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he plans to speed up the reopening of churches, mosques and temples. The houses of worship will be allowed to reopen at 25% occupancy as New York state moves to phase two, Cuomo said at his daily news conference.

“We are doing so well on the metrics,” Cuomo said, but urged residents to “stay smart.”

UK reports 204 new deaths

Update 9:46 a.m. EDT June 6: The United Kingdom’s Department of Health reported an additional 204 coronavirus deaths, boosting the country’s total death toll to 40,465.

The BBC reported that 284,868 people have now tested positive for the virus in the UK, according to official figures.

As of 9am 6 June, there have been 5,438,712 tests, with 218,187 tests on 5 June.

284,868 people have tested positive.

As of 5pm on 5 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 40,465 have sadly died.

More info:
▶️ https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k pic.twitter.com/nlgNheKeZ7
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 6, 2020

Brazil tops 35,000 deaths

Update 8:28 a.m. EDT June 6: Brazil’s health ministry reported 1,005 more deaths Friday, pushing the country’s total to more than 35,000. Brazil is third worldwide in reported deaths behind the United States and the United Kingdom.

The ministry also reported 30,830 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hour, putting the nationwide total to 645,771 cases.

Global deaths top 395K, total cases approach 6.8M

Update 7:45 a.m. EDT June 6: The global death toll attributed to the novel coronavirus reached 395,331 early Saturday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

In the four months since the virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, it has infected at least 6,759,210 people worldwide. Meanwhile, 17 nations now have total infection counts higher than China’s 84,177.

The 10 nations with the highest number of infections recorded to date are as follows:

• The United States has reported 1,897,838 cases, resulting in 109,143 deaths.

• Brazil has recorded 614,941 cases, resulting in 34,021 deaths.

• Russia has confirmed 458,102 cases, resulting in 5,717 deaths.

• The United Kingdom has reported 284,735 cases, resulting in 40,344 deaths.

• Spain has confirmed 240,978 cases, resulting in 27,134 deaths.

• India has reported 237,566 cases, resulting in 6,650 deaths.

• Italy has reported 234,531 cases, resulting in 33,774 deaths.

• France has confirmed 190,180 cases, resulting in 29,114 deaths.

• Peru has reported 187,400 cases, resulting in 5,162 deaths.

• Germany has reported 185,416 cases, resulting in 8,666 deaths.

Some Arizona ICUs nearing capacity amid coronavirus hospitalization surge

Update 7:20 a.m. EDT June 6: One of the largest health-care systems in the United States is nearing capacity in its Arizona intensive care units as coronavirus hospitalizations spike.

Banner Health Chief Clinical Officer Marjorie Bessel discussed the uptick as a “concern” during a Friday news conference.

As of June 4, there was 1,234 hospitalizations, and about half of those patients are hospitalized in Banner Health facilities, Bessel confirmed. Of those hospitalizations, 116 patients are were on ventilators as of June 4.

Bessel also said the company has been “load balancing” between Banner hospitals, meaning they are transferring patients and resources between facilities to meet as needed to serve the individual communities without overtaxing any one facility.

Should the trend continue, Bessel said, Banner will need to exercise surge planning and “flex” up to 125% bed capacity.

Officials are concerned about the steep incline of patients on ventilators, with 116 patients on ventilators in Banner hospitals as of June 4.

According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, Arizona has confirmed a total of 24,439 novel coronavirus infections, resulting in 1,015 deaths.

Nearly half of US seeing uptick in coronavirus transmissions, report

Update 6:12 a.m. EDT June 6: The rate of novel coronavirus infections has slowed in the United States since reaching its peak in mid-May, but cases continue to mount nationwide and several locales appear particularly hard hit.

According to data compiled by The Washington Post, 23 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have seen their 7-day average of coronavirus cases increase compared with the prior week. The majority of those regions have recorded an increase of at least 10%.

US coronavirus cases near 1.9M, deaths top 109K

Published 12:42 a.m. EDT June 6: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States continued to climb toward 1.9 million early Saturday across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, there are at least 1,897,838 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 109,143 deaths.

The hardest-hit states remain New York with 376,208 cases and 30,236 deaths and New Jersey with 163,336 cases and 12,049 deaths. Massachusetts, with 102,557 cases, has the third-highest number of deaths with 7,235, while Illinois has the third-highest number of cases with 125,915. Only 15 states and territories have confirmed fewer than 5,000 cases each.

Seven other states have now confirmed at least 50,000 novel coronavirus cases each, including:

• California: 125,738 cases, resulting in 4,529 deaths

• Pennsylvania: 78,815 cases, resulting in 5,898 deaths

• Texas: 72,548 cases, resulting in 1,812 deaths

• Florida: 61,488 cases, resulting in 2,660 deaths

• Michigan: 58,525 cases, resulting in 5,613 deaths

• Maryland: 56,770 cases, resulting in 2,702 deaths

• Georgia: 50,621 cases, resulting in 2,174 deaths

Meanwhile, Virginia, Connecticut and Louisiana each has confirmed at least 41,000 cases; Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina each has confirmed at least 33,000 cases; Colorado, Minnesota, Tennessee, Arizona, Washington, Iowa and Wisconsin each has confirmed at least 20,000 cases, followed by Alabama with 19,387 and Mississippi with 16,769; Rhode Island and Nebraska each has confirmed at least 15,000 cases, followed by Missouri with 14,572, South Carolina with 13,453 and Utah with 11,252; Kentucky and Kansas each has confirmed at least 10,000 cases; Delaware, Nevada and the District of Columbia each has confirmed at least 9,000 cases; New Mexico and Arkansas each has confirmed at least 8,000 cases, followed by Oklahoma with 7,007 and South Dakota with 5,277.