Virus death toll in US increases to 31, infected cases cross 1,000

Washington DC: The coronavirus death toll in the US increased to 31, while the infected cases surged past 1,000 as the country grappled to contain the virus that has spread to over 30 states with many declaring a state of emergency.

A total of 1,037 people have been confirmed COVID-19 positive in the country, according to a tally by the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

One person each in South Dakota and California and two in Washington state died from the virus, taking the total number of fatalities in the US to 31, a report in the Washington Post said.

The virus has been detected in more than 30 states, it said.

Eleven states of New York, California, Washington, Florida, Oregon, Utah, Maryland, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Colorado have declared emergency.

We're taking this unbelievably seriously, and I think we're doing a really good job. And, again, the task force, headed up by the vice president, has been fantastic, Trump told reporters at the US Capitol on Tuesday after meeting his Republican party colleagues.

The country is making extensive efforts to fight the rapid spread of the virus. Public gatherings have been cancelled, travel has been restricted, authorities have urged employees to stay at home, schools have shut down and colleges have shifted to online classes.

Major events, including Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade and Austin's South by Southwest festival, slated to be held this weekend, have been cancelled, the report

said.