Coronavirus live updates: U.S. records over 1,500 new deaths, for the deadliest day since May

The United States reported more than 1,500 new deaths caused by Covid-19 on Wednesday, marking the deadliest day for the country since the end of May. The surge in deaths comes as daily new cases reported across the country appear to decline, but epidemiologists caution that nationwide testing has fallen, too, raising questions about whether the count of new cases reflects the state of the outbreak. The debate around in-person learning continues as students across the country return to school in some form. President Donald Trump said Wednesday night the government would distribute 125 million masks to schools. 

The following data was compiled by Johns Hopkins University:

• Global cases: More than 20.6 million
• Global deaths: At least 749,700
• U.S. cases: More than 5.1 million
• U.S. deaths: At least 166,000