Brazil and India, which have the second and third highest caseloads, together have more than 5 million cases.
The US leads the world with more than 162,000 deaths. Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb predicted on Sunday on CBS between 200,000 and 300,000 deaths at the end of the year, and a new wave of cases affecting rural parts of the country.
The 5 million U.S. milestone of the case comes as negotiations over a rescue package crashed over the weekend, with the White House and Democrats still trillions of dollars apart on a deal. Trump on Saturday signed an executive order saying he would provide relief to Americans struggling with the pandemic’s economic fallout.
The growing case also counts as the Trump administration continues to pressure schools to reopen in the fall. One high school in Georgia that attracted national attention before Monday went packed again, saw half a dozen students and three teachers test positive for the coronavirus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Gottlieb again supported schools, but cautioned, saying, “We need to have a degree of humility. Children are not immune to this virus. We have seen bad results.”
