U.S. hits 50,000 deaths from coronavirus - just as many states announce plans to ease social restrictions

The U.S. passed 50,000 coronavirus deaths on Friday and is closing in on nearly 1 million infections as several states around the nation begin implementing plans for reopening businesses and easing social distancing.

On Friday the Johns Hopkins coronavirus database listed 51,017 U.S. deaths and more than 890,000 infections. Due to a lack of testing, the actual number of infections is likely to be much higher.