'Up to 200,000 Americans could die from coronavirus' as global death toll continues to soar

The coronavirus outbreak could kill up to 200,000 Americans, the US government's top infectious-disease expert has warned.

Speaking on CNN on Sunday, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that hundreds of thousands may die in the US and millions could become infected.

By evening, the nation had over 135,000 infections and 2,400 deaths, according to the running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Worldwide, more than 710,000 infections were reported, and deaths topped 33,000, half of them in Italy and Spain, where hospitals are swamped and the health system is at the breaking point.

New York state — where the death toll closed in on 1,000, up by more than 200 from the day before — remained the epicentre of the US outbreak, with the vast majority of the deaths in New York City.

But spikes in infections were recorded around the country, not only in metropolitan areas but in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.

"This is not going to get better soon," New York Govenor Andrew Cuomo said.

The virus is moving fast through nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places that house elderly or otherwise vulnerable people, spreading "like fire through dry grass," Mr Cuomo said.

It comes as the virus continues to spread in nursing homes and a growing list of cities around the country.

Since the US saw its first major outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this month — centred at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington — a stream of facilities have battled infections among residents and staff.

A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 147 nursing homes in 27 states had patients with Covid-19. The problem has only worsened since.

In Woodbridge, New Jersey, an entire nursing home relocated its residents after two dozen were confirmed infected and the rest were presumed to be.

In Louisiana, at least 11 nursing homes, largely in the New Orleans area, have reported cases. In Mount Airy, Maryland, a death linked to the virus was recorded in a home where 66 people were confirmed infected.

In New York, the virus is overwhelming some of the city's poorest neighbourhoods, with data showing high rates of infection in densely packed areas with big non-English-speaking populations.

Dr. Craig Smith, who heads the surgery department at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, said the hospital will probably be forced into "apocalyptic scenarios" in the coming weeks in which ventilators and intensive care unit beds will need to be rationed.

"Yesterday tried my soul," he wrote in an online posting.

President Donald Trump on Saturday backtracked on a proposal to quarantine New York and neighbouring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move.

But the CDC issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.

Some US states began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas. Rhode Island National Guard troops went door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers. Florida is setting up checkpoints to screen visitors from Louisiana.

As others tightened controls, China continued to ease its restrictions, following the ruling Communist Party's declaration of victory over the coronavirus.

Flights from Hubei province at the epicentre of the country's outbreak resumed Sunday.

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