This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
Published on June 22, 2020, the United States was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 119,959 deaths and 2,278,373 official cases.
According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, the country recorded 305 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours, marking the 11th consecutive day with a daily toll under 1,000.
While this was a positive trend, the US remained the hardest-hit country by the pandemic, with a significant rebound in infections reported in 20 states.
As the epicentre of the outbreak shifted southwest from New York and the country's northeast, the number of new daily confirmed cases crept back up towards 30,000 and beyond in recent days.
Concerns of a second wave of COVID-19 infections grew following state re-openings and massive anti-racism protests around the country in recent weeks.
President Donald Trump's first campaign rally since the coronavirus crisis, held in Oklahoma, was also criticized as a potential COVID-19 'superspreader' event.