WASHINGTON, D.C. – The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has now surpassed the total number of cases in China, the country that previously had the most people sick due to the coronavirus.
A tally by Johns Hopkins University showed Thursday evening that more than 82,400 cases have been reported in the U.S. and nearly 81,800 cases have been confirmed in China. The number of cases worldwide has exceeded 500,000.
The U.S. has also surpassed the Italians in total number of cases, but Italy still leads the world in the amount of deaths in connection with the virus, with at least 8,215. Johns Hopkins shows 3,291 people have died in China and 1,178 in the U.S.
When asked about the U.S. now leading the world in the number of COVID-19 cases, President Donald Trump pointed to the testing being done in America, and he suggested there were more cases in China than the country is reporting.
The virus at the center of the pandemic was first reported in the Chinese province of Hubei, with a large outbreak in the city of Wuhan. In the past several days, China says it has started to see a decrease in the amount of cases reported and the government has begun opening parts of the country back up.
In America, the Senate passed a $2 trillion economic rescue package to help small businesses, workers and the country's healthcare industry, which some worry will become overwhelmed by the influx of COVID-19 patients, in addition to those with other ailments.
On Friday, the legislation will go to the House, where it is expected to pass. The bill will then be sent to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.
