Data experts have increased the projected death toll of COVID-19 and are now estimating that roughly 74,000 people in the U.S. will die from the virus by August.
"We see these protracted, long peaks in some states. We're also seeing signs in the mobility data that people are getting more active, and that's also feeding into our assessment," said Dr. Chris Murray, Director of the University Of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Across the country, states are outlining plans to ease restrictions and restart economies. Some states, such as Georgia, Texas and Alaska, are already reopening businesses. Beaches in some states reopened, prompting large crowds on shorelines.
Experts tell CNN states are running the risk of additional deaths by resuming activity too soon. They say communities should strive for lower infection numbers first.
Many lawmakers are pushing for additional antibody testing in order to gain a better understanding of what impact the virus has had on the country. However, the World Health Organization reports that there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from the virus and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.
Contains footage from CNN.
