US reaches 1M coronavirus cases as lockdowns ease

The United States had over 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, accounting for about a third of the global tally.

More than 58,360 people have died, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, a toll that is likely to reach the milestone of 60,000 in days.

Yet the rate of new infections and deaths has been on the decline, leading to increased urgency to ease economic restrictions and lift some stay-at-home orders.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was the latest to announce steps to reopen the state’s economy Tuesday, unveiling a four-phase plan to open retail businesses and restaurants gradually, starting with those that provide curbside pickup and small businesses with few in-person customers at once, according to the Los Angeles Times. Newsom did not offer a timeline in which the state would move from phase to phase.