The United States on Wednesday again was headed toward the highest daily death toll in any nation during the global coronavirus pandemic: At least 1,804 deaths reported as of Wednesday evening with several states still expected to tally new casualties, nearing a record set just a day before. 

Washington state reported new deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday, raising the U.S. death toll from the virus to nine. With the coronavirus spreading unpredictably and Americans bracing for an increasing impact at home, the Federal Reserve made an emergency interest rate cut earlier on Tuesday, slashing the benchmark U.S. rate by half a percentage point.