COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed 6 million as of Tuesday morning, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, reports Xinhua.

Even as New York's daily coronavirus death toll hit its lowest point in over two weeks, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday said the state is not ready to ease up on shutdowns of schools, businesses and gatherings.

New York state reported 731 new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, its biggest jump since the start of the outbreak, dampening some of the cautious optimism officials have expressed about efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Americans are bracing for probably the toughest week during which a lot of deaths will occur due to COVID-19.