The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 7,000 on Saturday as the country recorded its deadliest day.

Health officials report nearly 278,500 cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., and more than 7,150 people have died. On Friday, the death toll rose by 1,161. New York, the hardest hit state in the country, also saw its deadliest day, with 562 deaths, about one death every 2 1/2 minutes.

The state has more than 113,700 cases and 3,565 deaths, with 2,624 of those deaths in New York City. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the situation in the state, pleading for more medical supplies, particularly ventilators.

More than 15,900 people are hospitalized in the state, including more than 4,120 people in intensive care units, requiring ventilators, life-saving machines for the most critical patients.

The governor said at a news conference Saturday that the Joseph and Clara Tsai Foundation and the Jack Ma Foundation are coordinating the shipment of 1,000 ventilators from China, where the virus originated. He also said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown made an unsolicited offer to send 140 ventilators to the state. He praised the move as "astonishing and unexpected" and described it as a smart attempt to contain the virus before it spreads further across the country.

"We're all in the same battle here, and the battle is stopping the spread of the virus," Cuomo said.

Photos: America at Standstill View All 30 Images

The moves come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its guidance to recommend Americans wear cloth masks or face coverings in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"This is all about me protecting you and you protecting me," Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Friday during a White House press conference. "This is about us coming together as a community. And if people voluntarily choose to wear a face covering, they are wearing it to protect their neighbors from getting coronavirus."

Globally, officials report more than 1.14 million cases of the coronavirus and nearly 60,900 people have died. Coronavirus cases in Spain have surpassed those in Italy, long the European epicenter of the pandemic, reaching nearly 124,800. Italy has almost 120,000 cases of the virus, and has the world's highest death toll at more than 14,680.

Spain's case count continues to grow, but the country reported a decline in deaths on Saturday. While a staggering 809 people died from Friday to Saturday, it was the country's largest drop in the number of deaths since March 26.

More than 11,740 people have died, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that the country's state of alarm will continue until April 26. The state of alarm was originally declared three weeks ago in a bid to slow the coronavirus outbreak. It was set to last until March 29, but extended until April 11 and extended a third time for another two weeks.

The state of alarm involves tight restrictions on residents' movements and only allows essential workers to report to their jobs.