The United States, the country hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, on Sunday recorded 59,747 new cases over the last 24-hour period, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

The number of cases in the US has rocketed in recent weeks, hitting a record of 66,528 in 24 hours on Saturday. The country has now registered a total of 3,301,820 infections, the Baltimore-based university said in its latest data as of 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Monday).

The death toll stood at 135,171 with 442 additional deaths counted. The surge in cases has forced some state governors to retreat from earlier efforts to reopen their economies, with some now embracing the wearing of masks.

President Donald Trump's administration on Sunday again pressed for full school reopenings in the fall despite resurgent COVID-19 infections.