US reports highest one-day coronavirus death of any country

The most recent daily death toll in the U.S. surpassed the total recorded by any country in one day amid the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1,900 Americans died between Tuesday and Wednesday, pushing the total number of deaths in the U.S. to at least 12,893, The Washington Post reported. 

Almost 400,000 Americans have also tested positive for the virus, much more than double Spain’s count, which has the second-highest total, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

France on Wednesday initially reported the highest daily death count in a 24-hour period with 1,417 before the numbers in the U.S. were released. 

The increase in U.S. deaths comes after states across the country, including New Jersey, New York, Louisiana and Michigan, experienced their highest daily numbers of fatalities related to the virus. 

More than 730 of those deaths occurred in New York state, which has become the United States’ epicenter for the virus. New York’s death total makes up almost 43 percent of the entire country’s count. 

Several states, like New York, Louisiana and Illinois, are experiencing increasing deaths while recording data that suggests the disease may be stabilizing. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has warned, however, that more data is needed. 

Across the country, 42 governors have issued stay-at-home orders for their residents in an effort to decrease community spread.

Federal health officials last week said deaths in the U.S. could range between 100,000  and 240,000.

A model used by the White House, however, now predicts that approximately 60,400 Americans will die as a result of the virus by August. Experts have noted that the model has repeatedly had lower forecasted death counts than other projections.