U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Near 80,000 as States Expand Moves to Reopen

As the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic approached 80,000, governors from New York to Ohio to California took steps toward reopening businesses as the economic wreckage from lockdowns climbed.

Deaths in the U.S. reached 79,894, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. World-wide, more than 284,000 people have perished from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. The numbers may undercount the true death toll, researchers say.

Senior White House officials urged governors to move toward restarting commerce as signs of the economic harm rose. The U.S. unemployment rate soared to 14.7% in April, with 20.5 million jobs erased from payrolls, the Labor Department said Friday.

The White House and the Republican-controlled Senate remain at odds with House Democrats who are pushing to complete their next coronavirus-aid proposal this week.

Democrats argue for new spending, on top of the roughly $3 trillion of aid so far for businesses, households, states and cities, among others. But some Republicans and President Trump are advocating for a wait-and-see stance on more stimulus and have prioritized other policies, such as shielding businesses from liability.