Medical worker moves the body into a refrigerated truck which was converted into a temporary morgue outside Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn, New York on April 4. (Photo: AFP / Getty Images )

The United States surpassed Italy on Saturday as the country with the highest reported coronavirus death toll, recording more than 20,000 deaths since the outbreak began. The United States has seen its highest death tolls to date in the epidemic with roughly 2,000 deaths a day reported for the last four days in a row, the largest number in and around New York City. The country has also reported more than 532,000 cases of the virus.

Italy recorded 619 more deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday.The new figures take Italy’s total coronavirus death toll to 18,849 people. Officials said that the overall total of cases in Italy currently stands at 152,271. A total of 2,079 people in Italy recovered in the past 24 hours, taking the total recovery number to 32,534.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the elderly may have to stay isolated until the end of the year. He also expressed hope that a European laboratory will find a vaccine this year.