The World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson on March 24 said that with a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, the country could become the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Europe is still the centre of the pandemic, but there had been "a very large acceleration" in cases in the US," the WHO spokesperson said at a news conference in Geneva on March 24, as quoted by NHK World. The WHO said that, as of last March 21, 75 percent of new infections around the world were from Europe, and 15 percent from the United States.

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The spokeperson said that about half of the new cases over the past 24 hours were from Europe, while 40 percent were from the US.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States has risen above 600, with more than 50,000 cases of infection confirmed, the John Hopkins University of Medicine said on March 24. Meanwhile, the US President has said that he would like to have the country open up by Easter holidays, amid the coronavirus global pandemic which is continuing to impact the country and has claimed over 16,231 lives globally.

"I would love to have it opened by Easter (April 12). It is such an important day for other reasons, but I will make it an important day for this too. I would love to have the country opened up by Easter," said the US President during a Town Hall organised by Fox News to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak situation in the country.

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