On April 4, shortly after 5 p.m. ET, there were 301,902 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 1,187,798 across the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.



Johns Hopkins reported more than 8,000 deaths and 14,000 recoveries in the U.S from COVID-19. Globally, there have been over 64,000 deaths and 245,000 recoveries.



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As the number of infections from the new coronavirus has grown to more than 1.1 million worldwide, health care systems are straining under the surge of patients and lack of medical equipment like ventilators, protective masks and gloves. All of which has heightened concerns about the exposure of hospital personnel.

In the U.S., governors are describing in stark terms the dog-eat-dog global marketplace they must navigate for the protective gear doctors, nurses and other front-line medical workers need as they brace for an expected wave of patients afflicted with severe cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

U.S. medical experts estimate the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic could reach 240,000 nationwide. The question of where to put the bodies is worrying just about everyone as cities, hospitals and private medical groups clamor to secure additional storage.



The Associated Press contributed to this story.