Coronavirus: Honolulu mayor eases some coronavirus restrictions

Live updates for Wednesday, April 29, continue below:

Honolulu mayor eases some coronavirus restrictions

Update 11:38 p.m. EDT April 29: Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Wednesday some businesses will be allowed to restart operations beginning Friday as the city eases its emergency orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Public and private golf courses will be allowed to reopen, so long as patrons observe social distancing requirements.

Car dealers would be allowed to resume operations by appointment. Pet groomers who provide service on a mobile basis and do not interact with human customers may also restart. The order will remain in effect through May 18.

Caldwell said the city, the governor and the other county mayors were working to determine how to keep everyone safe.

“Together, we are taking the first steps towards a more open way of life,” Caldwell said in a statement. “Getting people back to work is a priority right now and we will continue to make decisions based on all available data and sound science,” Caldwell said in a statement.

The mayor made his announcement after Gov. David Ige approved the rule changes.

Los Angeles offering free coronavirus testing to all residents

Update 11:18 p.m. EDT April 29: The city of Los Angeles will offer free coronavirus testing to all residents, whether or not they have symptoms.

Until now tests were reserved for those with symptoms and frontline employees like healthcare and grocery store workers. Mayor Eric Garcetti says LA will be the first major U.S. city to offer widescale testing to all its residents.

People can sign up online for appointments starting immediately. Priority will still be given to people with symptoms, such as a fever, cough and shortness of breath.

People will be able to go back for tests several times: there is no limit.

Trump says he won’t extend social distancing guidelines

Update 10:35 p.m. EDT April 29: President Donald Trump said Wednesday the federal government will not be extending its coronavirus social distancing guidelines once they expire Thursday, and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, predicted that by July the country will be "really rocking again."

To underscore his confidence, Trump said he plans to resume out-of-state travel after spending more than a month mostly cooped up in the White House, starting with a trip to Arizona next week. And he said he's hoping to hold mass campaign rallies in the coming months with thousands of supporters, even though medical experts have said there is little hope of having a vaccine by then.

Putting a positive face on the latest grim numbers — the U.S. death toll has now surpassed American lives lost in the Vietnam War — Trump delivered his daily upbeat update and Kushner described the administration’s much-criticized response to the pandemic as “a great success story.”

Trump also talked up the good news the day provided: hopeful results for a possible COVID-19 treatment. But the government announced dismal new economic numbers as the pandemic took hold and shut down much of the country.

The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate in first quarter of the year — a precursor to far grimmer reports that are expected this summer from the severe recession triggered by the pandemic.

Elon Musk rails against virus measures

Update 9:25 p.m. EDT April 29: Tesla reported that it eked out a first-quarter net profit Wednesday and its CEO went on a rant about the legality of government stay-home orders issued to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

The electric car and solar panel company said it made $16 million from January through March, its third-straight profitable quarter.

But the company suspended its near-term profit outlook, and on a conference call, CEO Elon Musk railed against the orders, one of which is keeping his Fremont, California, assembly plant from reopening.

“Forcibly imprisoning people in their homes is against all their constitutional right,” Musk said. “People should be outraged.”

An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close the plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus’ spread, and it was extended until the end of May.

As other automakers move to reopen their U.S. factories, it’s unclear when Tesla will be able to restart production in Fremont. Musk called the plant closure a “serious risk.” The factory had recently begun cranking out Tesla’s new Model Y small SUV, which it said has been profitable early in its life cycle.

It also appears the stay-home order may force Tesla to dial back its forecast produce more than 500,000 vehicles in 2020. The company didn’t give a new estimate and said it’s unclear how fast parts makers can resume production.

Trump erupts at campaign team as his poll numbers slide

Update 8:15 p.m. EDT April 29: President Donald Trump erupted at his top political advisers last week when they presented him with worrisome polling data that showed his support eroding in a series of battleground states as his response to the coronavirus comes under criticism.

As the virus takes its deadly toll and much of the nation’s economy remains shuttered, new surveys by the Republican National Committee and Trump’s campaign pointed to a harrowing picture for the president as he faces reelection.

While Trump saw some of the best approval ratings of his presidency during the early weeks of the crisis, aides highlighted the growing political cost of the crisis and the unforced errors by Trump in his freewheeling press briefings.

Trump reacted with defiance, incredulous that he could be losing to someone he viewed as a weak candidate.

The message to the president was sobering: Trump was trailing the former Democratic vice president in many key battleground states, he was told, and would have lost the Electoral College if the election had been held earlier this month.

Meatpackers welcome Trump order

Update 7:20 p.m. EDT April 29: Big meatpacking companies that have struggled to keep plants running during the coronavirus crisis said Wednesday that they welcomed President Donald Trump's executive order requiring them to stay open, but unions, some employees and Democrats questioned whether workers could be kept safe.

Trump used the Defense Production Act to classify meat processors as critical infrastructure to prevent supermarket shelves from running out of chicken, pork and other meat. Meatpacking plants across the country have closed as COVID-19 infections spread rapidly between workers, who often stand shoulder to shoulder on production lines.

Trump, who consulted with industry leaders before issuing the order, said it would relieve “bottlenecks” that the largest companies faced after workers fell ill and some died.

“They are so thrilled,” Trump said Wednesday after getting off a call with meatpacking executives. “They’re so happy. They’re all gung-ho, and we solved their problems.”

The executive order was widely seen as giving processors protection from liability for workers who become sick on the job. It came soon after a lawsuit accused Smithfield Foods of not doing enough to protect employees at its plant in Milan, Missouri. A federal judge in that case ordered Smithfield to follow federal recommendations.

Florida governor says phase 1 of reopening can begin May 4, except in 3 South Florida counties

Update 6:15 p.m. EDT April 29: Gov. Ron DeSantis said most of Florida will be able to enter phase one of reopening as of May 4, except for in three counties with the most cases in South Florida.

"We need to focus on facts and not fear," DeSantis said in a news conference discussing his plan for reopening Florida Wednesday evening.

He said the state needs to reopen gradually with all but Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties moving to phase one on May 4.

“We will get Florida back on its feet by using an approach that’s safe, smart and step-by-step,” he said.

DeSantis said phase one means elective surgeries can resume, and restaurants can do outdoor seating with 6 feet between tables and 25% capacity indoors with 6-foot spacing.

He said retail can reopen as well with 25% capacity.

DeSantis said in phase one schools, bars, gyms and personal services will remain closed.

Facebook revenue growth slows amid the coronavirus pandemic

Update 5:20 p.m. EDT April 29: Facebook on Tuesday reported its slowest quarterly growth as a public company, pressured by the coronavirus pandemic and a resulting global slowdown in digital advertising.

The social network, like Google on Tuesday, said it's feeling the squeeze but expects to weather it with only modest long-term effects.

The company said it saw a “significant reduction” in ad prices and demand in the last three weeks of March. It declined to give revenue guidance for the rest of the year, but said in the second quarter so far, it has seen “signs of stability” in the first three weeks of April. Ad revenue during this time has been flat compared with the year-ago period, Facebook said.

It was a “decent quarter, all things considered,” said eMarketer social media analyst Debra Aho Williamson. But the fact that revenue was flat in the first three weeks of April suggests that the second quarter will be much more challenging than the first, she added.

Thunberg launching campaign to help fight virus

Update 4:55 p.m. EDT April 29: Climate activist Greta Thunberg is launching a campaign with a Danish foundation to help finance the U.N. childrens' agency's emergency program to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Thunberg said in a statement that “like the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic is a child-rights crisis” that will affect youngsters now and in the long-term, especially the most vulnerable.

She urged people everywhere “to step up and join me in support of UNICEF’s vital work to save children’s lives, to protect health and continue education.”

The campaign is being launched with $100,000 from the Greta Thunberg Foundation and $100,000 from Denmark’s Human Act Foundation.

Nearly 300,000 COVID-19 cases reported in New York

Update 3:35 p.m. EDT April 29: Nearly 300,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus infections so far in New York, according to data released Wednesday by the New York State Department of Health.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier Wednesday that 330 more people have died in the state of coronavirus-related causes, slightly less than the 335 new deaths reported one day earlier.

“You see the decline has been slow at best, and still disgustingly high,” the governor said at a news conference.

Elective surgeries to resume Friday in Virginia

Update 3:10 p.m. EDT April 29: Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia announced Wednesday that dental and elective surgeries will be allowed to resume in the state Friday, according to multiple reports.

Northam previously issued a ban on elective surgeries amid the coronavirus pandemic and extended it to expire on May 1. He said Wednesday that he'll allow the order to expire, WRIC reported.

"We did this to preserve our PPE for our frontline workers in our hospitals and prepare for a surge if that were to occur," Northam said, according to WTVR-TV. "Our efforts (at social distancing) to slow the spread of this virus are showing success."

Costco to require customers wear face coverings beginning next week

Update 2:45 p.m. EDT April 29: Costco officials have announced that beginning Monday, all members and guests entering the company's stores will be required to wear masks or face coverings. Employees also will be required to wear masks.

On its website, the warehouse retail giant said customers must cover their mouths and noses at all times while inside the store with exceptions made for children under the age of 2 and people who are unable to wear face coverings due to medical conditions.

Federal social distancing guidelines to expire

Update 2:40 p.m. EDT April 29: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the federal government will not be extending its social distancing guidelines when they expire Thursday, at the end of the month.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the coronavirus guidelines will be “fading out” because of work that governors are doing in their states.

Vice President Mike Pence said the guidelines issued 45 days ago have been incorporated into guidance provided to the states on how they can begin the process of gradually reopening their economies.

The guidelines – which were originally supposed to last 15 days and were then extended another 30 - included encouraging Americans to work from home and avoid restaurants and discretionary travel as well as telling older Americans and those with serious underlying health conditions to isolate themselves.

2,481 new cases of COVID-19 reported in New Jersey

Update 2:30 p.m. EDT April 29: Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey said Wednesday that 2,481 new coronavirus infections have been reported, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 116,264.

Officials also reported 329 new fatal COVID-19 cases, 73 fewer than the new fatalities that had been reported one day earlier.

Statewide, 6,770 people have died of coronavirus.

Louisiana reports 374 new coronavirus infections

Update 2:25 p.m. EDT April 29: Officials in Louisiana reported 374 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, raising the state's total number of infections to 27,660.

The number is higher than the 218 new infections reported Tuesday.

Officials said that statewide, at least 1,802 people have died of COVID-19.

Data shows COVID-19 drug has ‘clear-cut, significant, positive effect,' Fauci says

Update 2:20 p.m. EDT April 29: The White House offered new hope Wednesday in the search for medical treatments dealing with the coronavirus as government researchers said a worldwide study conducted in hospitals showed the drug remdesivir had reduced the recovery time for patients hit by the virus.

“What it is proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institutes of Health said. He added that federal officials would work with the drug maker Gilead Sciences to see about getting supplies to hospitals.

“The mortality rate trended towards being better in the sense of less deaths in the remdesivir group,” Fauci said.

UK officials report 4,076 new cases of COVID-19

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT April 29: Officials in the United Kingdom reported 4,076 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, raising the country's number of COVID-19 cases to 165,221.

Authorities with the British Department of Health and Social Care also announced that a total of 26,097 have died in the U.K. due to the novel coronavirus. The number is 4,419 higher than the fatal cases reported nationwide Tuesday owing to the fact that it included deaths outside hospitals for the first time, The Guardian reported.

Researchers push for COVID-19 vaccine by year’s end

Update 1:50 p.m. April 29: Oxford University said it may have a vaccine for the novel coronavirus ready by September, CBS News reported. Scientists at the university said one vaccine that is being tested has worked so far in macaque monkeys that were exposed to COVID-19. Researchers are also conducting human trials of the test vaccine.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer, biotechnology company Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are also rolling out plans to develop testing of their own vaccines in the coming weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Normally it takes more than 10 years for a vaccine to be developed from start to finish, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Alaska Air to use passenger jets to fly essential cargo

Update 1:35 p.m. April 29: Alaska Air Cargo will fly passenger jets as cargo-only flights to carry essential goods like mail, medical equipment, e-commerce packages and food during the coronavirus pandemic, KIRO-TV reported.

Many passenger planes aren’t being used right now because of reduced flights, the news station reported.

"We're determined to help protect the resiliency of our nation's supply chain by connecting critical cargo to the communities we serve during this public health crisis," Torque Zubeck, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo, told KIRO-TV.

New figures show economic impact of coronavirus on US economy

Update 1:30 p.m. EDT April 29: The Trump Administration reported Wednesday that U.S. economic output shrank by 4.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, the first official estimate of the serious negative impact from the outbreak of the coronavirus.

It was the largest step for the U.S. economy since the end of 2008, as job losses mounted in the aftermath of the Wall Street Collapse.

Myrtle Beach reopens after COVID-19 restrictions lifted

Update 1:20 p.m. EDT April 29: The barricades are down on South Carolina's Myrtle Beach, meaning the vacation destination is open once again.

Earlier this week, the Myrtle Beach City Council agreed to allow public beach access amid the coronavirus shutdown.

Shortly after the motion passed, police officers started removing the barriers, but it may take a few days to get them all down, WMBF reported.

Navy extends investigation to addresses ‘unanswered questions’ regarding virus outbreak on warship 

Update 1 p.m. EDT April 29: Acting Secretary of the Navy James E. McPherson will extend an investigation into the actions and decisions taken by Capt. Brett Crozier of the USS Roosevelt after more than 900 sailors aboard the ship became infected with COVID-19 and the death of at least one crew member. McPherson said he is acting after assessing the recommendations of Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of U.S. Naval Operations.

Crozier was fired April 2 after sending an email outside of his chain of command to request help amid the rampant spread of the virus onboard the warship and to ask that sailors be evacuated off the ship with urgency. He was later reinstated at Gilday’s recommendation.

McPherson said Wednesday he has “unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review.” The initial probe was announced April 2.

The new review by Gilday will likely examine how the outbreak began and how it was handled, plus address Crozier’s concerns that his leadership was not acting fast enough to protect the crew from the spreading virus.

More than 4,000 cases of COVID-19 reported in DC

Update 10:25 a.m. EDT April 29: Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington D.C. said Wednesday that 112 new coronavirus infections have been reported in the area, raising the total number of cases in the area to 4,106. The number of new cases was slightly higher than the 102 new cases reported one day earlier.

Bowser said 15 more people between the ages of 50 and 95 also died of COVID-19. As of Tuesday, 205 Washington D.C. residents have died of coronavirus, officials said.

Early results show improvement in coronavirus patients on shorter remdesivir treatment

Update 10:15 a.m. EDT April 29: Officials with Gilead Sciences said Wednesday that early results showed 50% of COVID-19 patients who were treated for just five days with the antiviral drug remdesivir showed improvement, with more than 60 percent of patients well enough to be discharged within two weeks of initial treatment.

The study was aimed at comparing the efficacy of 10- and 5-day treatments of the drug, which is currently being tested in clinical trials worldwide.

“The study demonstrates the potential for some patients to be treated with a 5-day regimen, which could significantly expand the number of patients who could be treated with our current supply of remdesivir,” Merdad Parsey, Gilead Sciences’ chief medical officer, said in a statement. "This is particularly important in the setting of a pandemic, to help hospitals and healthcare workers treat more patients in urgent need of care.”

Parsey stressed that several studies are being conducted to determine whether remdesivir is safe for coronavirus patients and its efficacy in treating coronavirus infections. It has not been licensed or approved anywhere globally as of Wednesday.

Stocks charge higher on hopes for progress in fighting virus

Update 9:45 a.m. EDT April 29: Stocks charged higher around the world Wednesday following an encouraging but preliminary report on a possible treatment for COVID-19.

The S&P 500 rose 1.9% in early trading, and stocks in Europe also jumped after Gilead Sciences put out a statement noting positive data from a trial of its drug remdesivir.

The news hit markets at the same moment the U.S. government reported that the nation's economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate in the first three months of the year, the worst showing since the financial crisis in 2008. The Federal Reserve is expected to release a statement later Wednesday on interest rate policy.

Pence spokeswoman: ‘We don’t feel it was a mistake’ to go without mask at Mayo Clinic

Update 9:05 a.m. EDT April 29: A spokeswoman for Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday told CNN's Jim Acosta that it was not a mistake for the vice president to go without a mask Tuesday during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"We don't feel it was a mistake," said the vice president's press secretary, Katie Miller, according to CNN.

Pence has been criticized for failing to wear a mask during a tour of the world-renowned medical facility in an apparent violation of the Mayo Clinic’s policy requiring them. Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma, even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one. He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests.

Officials with the Mayo Clinic wrote in a since-deleted tweet that they had shared the clinic’s masking policy with the vice president’s office before his visit.

Pence told reporters Tuesday that he's been frequently tested for the virus and that his decision fell in line with CDC guidelines, which indicate that the mask is good for preventing the spread of the virus by those who have it.

"As vice president of the United States I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," Pence said.

“Since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible healthcare personnel, and look them in the eye and say ‘thank you.'"

Worldwide cases surge past 3.1M, total deaths approach 218K

Update 7:40 a.m. EDT April 29: The global death toll attributed to the novel coronavirus reached 217,674 early Wednesday, 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 3,130,191 people worldwide. Meanwhile, nearly one in every four deaths reported worldwide has occurred in the United States.

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

• The United States has reported 1,012,583 cases, resulting in 58,355 deaths.

• Spain has confirmed 232,128 cases, resulting in 23,822 deaths.

• Italy has reported 201,505 infections, resulting in 27,359 deaths.

• France has confirmed 169,053 infections, resulting in 23,694 deaths.

• The United Kingdom has reported 162,350 cases, resulting in 21,745 deaths.

• Germany has reported 160,059 cases, resulting in 6,314 deaths.

• Turkey has recorded 114,653 cases, resulting in 2,992 deaths

• Russia has confirmed 99,399 cases, resulting in 972 deaths.

• Iran has recorded 93,657 cases, resulting in 5,877 deaths.

• China has recorded 83,940 cases, resulting in 4,637 deaths.

‘See You Next Year’: Dutch company sends warm message to coronavirus-sidelined tourists missing 2020 tulips

Update 5:23 a.m. EDT April 29: The Netherlands' lush tulip fields might feel a bit neglected this year with quarantined travelers unable to witness their blooms in person, so some felt a special message was warranted.

According to CNN, Dutch Daffodils, a Dutch family flower farm, and Tulips in Holland, a travel blog dedicated to the tulips in the Netherlands, teamed up to send the following message to all who are missing this year's blooms.

“We headed the tulips a bit earlier to write this message. From our families to yours!” Dutch Daffodils wrote in a Facebook post, with “See You Next Year” written in the flowers, along with a heart. “We hope that this brighten your day a bit and we hope to see you next year! Much love!”

German doctors protesting PPE shortages pose nude to illustrate coronavirus vulnerability

Update 4:54 a.m. EDT April 29: A group of German physicians who feel naked without adequate personal protective equipment have launched a not-so-subtle social media campaign to bolster demands for increased supplies needed to continue battling the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to The Washington Post, the protest is called "Blanke Bedenken," which translates loosely as "Naked Concerns," because participating doctors feel exposed without masks, gloves and goggles.

In turn, the physicians are stripping down – often, only to a stethoscope – in a bid to force government intervention in dwindling supplies.

"When we run out of the little we have, we look like this," the group states on its website.

According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, Germany has reported just under 160,000 coronavirus infections to date, resulting in at least 6,314 deaths.

Largest US mall operator set to reopen 49 shopping centers as coronavirus restrictions ease

Update 4:44 a.m. EDT April 29: The biggest mall operator in the country plans to reopen nearly 50 shopping centers across 10 states this weekend, and the experience will now include social distancing plus a few freebies: face masks and hand sanitizer.

An internal memo, first obtained Tuesday by CNBC, said Indiana-based Simon Property Group is preparing to reopen properties across much of the South, beginning Friday.

A few of the changes shoppers might notice include:

• Infrared temperature testing upon entry

• Regular audio reminders to maintain acceptable social distancing

• Traffic will be controlled to prevent exceeding capacity

• Food court seating will be spaced out

• All play areas and drinking fountains will be blocked off

• Only every other sink and urinal will be accessible in restrooms

Most of the malls reopening between Friday and Monday are located in Georgia, Texas and Indiana, The Washington Post reported.

Coronavirus forces eligibility rules change for Academy Awards

Update 3:28 a.m. EDT April 29: For the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will allow movies that originally had theatrical release dates but are now being screened online to be eligible for awards consideration.

According to NPR, the unprecedented step was announced Monday because the novel coronavirus pandemic has forced the closure of movie theaters and cancellation of film festivals across the globe, meaning everything from big-studio blockbusters to indie sleepers are premiering on laptops and in living rooms instead of on the big screen.

"The historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules," Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson wrote in a joint statement.

Prior to Monday's announcement, any film in contention for awards consideration had to run at least seven consecutive days in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County. Under the new rules, when theaters reopen, films may qualify for awards if they have theatrical runs in L.A., New York, California's Bay Area, Chicago, Miami or Atlanta, NPR reported.

Big Mac attacks sweep New Zealand after coronavirus restrictions eased

Update 3 a.m. EDT April 29: Absence apparently made New Zealanders' hearts grow so much fonder of fast food, the police had to step in to enforce crowd control, CNN reported.

As the nation eased into Level 3 restrictions on Monday, residents flocked to recently reopened restaurants, especially in the country’s largest city, Auckland.

According to state-owned broadcaster TVNZ, McDonald’s and KFC drive-throughs were clogged with customers, but local favorite BurgerFuel was ill-prepared to handle the onslaught of business.

“Day one of re-opening saw our BurgerFuel stores inundated with a stampede of customers, way beyond what we had anticipated,” a spokesperson for BurgerFuel said in a statement, addressing the incident which required police intervention.

‘Enough is enough’: Illinois state lawmaker files suit against stay-at-home order amid coronavirus

Update 2:20 a.m. EDT April 29: A circuit court judge in Illinois has issued a temporary restraining order against the state's extension of its stay-at-home policy, but the ruling applies to only one person, NRP reported.

Illinois State Rep. Darren Bailey filed suit one week ago against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extension of the statewide stay-at-home order.

"Enough is enough," Bailey said in a statement. "I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life."

The judge’s temporary restraining order applies only to Bailey, however. Pritzker, who called Bailey’s lawsuit a “cheap political stunt,” is appealing the ruling.

US coronavirus deaths hit 58,355, total cases top 1M

Update 12:41 a.m. EDT April 29: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed one million early Wednesday morning across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, there are at least 1,012,582 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 58,355 deaths. Of those cases, more than 295,000 have been reported in New York, meaning the state has, itself, confirmed more cases than any other nation outside the United States, including Germany with 159,912, the United Kingdom with 162,350 cases, France with 169,053, Italy with 201,505 and Spain with 232,128.

Of the confirmed U.S. deaths, 22,912 – or roughly 39% of the nationwide total – have occurred in New York, 6,442 in New Jersey and 3,568 in Michigan.

In terms of diagnosed cases, New York remains the hardest hit with at least 295,106 confirmed cases, followed by New Jersey with 113,856 and Massachusetts with 58,302.

Ten other states have now confirmed at least 20,000 novel coronavirus cases each, including:

• Illinois: 48,102 cases, resulting in 2,125 deaths

• California: 46,164 cases, resulting in 1,864 deaths

• Pennsylvania: 45,137 cases, resulting in 2,046

• Michigan: 39,262 cases, resulting in 3,5,68 deaths

• Florida: 32,848, resulting in 1,171 deaths

• Louisiana: 27,286, resulting in 1,801 deaths

• Texas: 26,357, resulting in 719 deaths

• Connecticut: 26,312, resulting in 2,087 deaths

• Georgia: 24,923, resulting in 1,036 deaths

• Maryland: 20,113, resulting in 1,016 deaths

Meanwhile, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Colorado and Washington state and each has confirmed at least 13,000 cases; Tennessee surpassed 10,000 cases, followed closely by North Carolina with 9,755; Rhode Island and Missouri each has confirmed at least 7,000 cases; Arizona, Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi and Wisconsin each has confirmed at least 6,000 cases, followed closely by South Carolina with 5,735; Nevada, Delaware, Kentucky, Utah and Minnesota each has confirmed at least 4,000 cases; the District of Columbia, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Arkansas each has confirmed at least 3,000 cases; and New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota and New Hampshire each has confirmed at least 2,000 cases.

Click here to see CNN's state-by-state breakdown.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.