Dhaka, April 8 -- While the United States experienced its deadliest single day since the crisis began, the US surgeon general said the pandemic may kill fewer Americans than had been projected.

Authorities also provided data showing the pandemic having a disproportionate impact on African Americans.

New York state's death toll rose by 731 to 5,489 over the past day, Cuomo said, though he called that a "lagging indicator" illustrating past trends. Deaths from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, occur days or weeks after a person becomes infected.

After weeks of bleak developments, Cuomo said the state was "projecting that we are reaching a plateau in the total number of hospitalizations" due to the coronavirus, a poss...