U.S. reports 63,000 more coronavirus cases in past 24 hours

The United States recorded 63,262 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday.

The total number of cases recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic now exceeds 3.42 million, according to the Baltimore-based university.

The COVID-19 pandemic also claimed 850 more lives in the United States in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 136,432, according to the institution's tracker at 8.30 pm Tuesday (0030 GMT Wednesday).

The world's wealthiest country has in recent weeks seen a surge in infections, mainly in its south and west, which have kept it by far the most affected nation.

In Florida, which was one of the first states to lift lockdown restrictions, for example, officials reported 132 deaths Tuesday -- a new daily record for the state -- while more than 9,000 new cases of the virus were detected there in the past 24 hours.

Faced with this trend, some states have reversed the opening of shops and services, such as California, and many of them have made masks compulsory in public places.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publicized Tuesday the results of a study that supports the widespread use of face masks to curb the epidemic.

American biotech company Moderna announced that it would enter the final phase of its clinical trials for a vaccine against COVID-19 on July 27, after the publication of promising preliminary results.