The United States currently has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other country in the world.
The North American nation now has more than 85,500 positive test cases of coronavirus, while China and Italy have 81,782 and 80,589 cases, respectively.
This is according to the latest figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, as reported by BBC on Friday.
But with almost 1,300 coronavirus-related fatalities, the US death toll is far behind China (3,291) and Italy (8,215).
When asked about the latest figures at a White House briefing on Thursday afternoon, US President Donald Trump said it was “a tribute to the amount of testing that we’re doing”.
Trump also cast doubt on the figures coming out of China, telling reporters: “You don’t know what the numbers are in China.”
US President Donald Trump had already vowed to return to business, saying the country will not continue to be in a lockdown due to the spread of coronavirus across the globe.
The lockdowns have brought the US and its $20-trillion economy to a virtual standstill during the past few days, and Trump said this would not continue.
“America will, again, and soon, be open for business,” Trump said during his daily briefing on coronavirus.
“Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting. Lot sooner. We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation, WHO, had warned earlier this week that the US could become the epicenter of the pandemic if it goes against the measures.
