US is the first country to record over 2,000 deaths in last 24 hours due to Covid-19: Report

• US by now has recorded 18,586 deaths
• Trump on Friday said, he will make an announcement next week on US funding to the WHO

The United States on Friday has become the first country to record more than 2,000 covid-19 deaths in a day, with 2,108 fatalities in the past 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

The US has now recorded 18,586 deaths and is nearing the death toll of 18,849 in Italy, which has seen the most fatalities so far in the global pandemic.

America is also reaching half a million confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 496,535 as of 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Saturday), an increase of 35,098 in the past 24 hours.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that his decision on when to reopen the US economy, shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be the toughest he has ever taken.