The death toll from the new coronavirus reached 50,000 in the U.S., now the epicenter of the global outbreak, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

New York City has suffered the most, with more than 16,000 deaths. Some 870,000 people in the U.S. have been infected, with about 20,000 new cases added on Thursday.

Still, some states have begun planning to roll back social-distancing restrictions, facing the dilemma of how to restart the economy without sparking a second wave of infections. Some European countries, including Germany and Austria, are already taking cautious steps toward reopening.

(AP)