The United States is nearing three million confirmed Covid-19 cases, as President Donald Trump downplays the risks posed by the pandemic and aggressively pushes for schools to reopen.

The coronavirus is surging in several southern hotspots including Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Arizona, while it has almost entirely receded from its former epicentre in New York and the north-east.

Trump embarked on a morning tweetstorm ahead of a public meeting of his coronavirus taskforce, in which he called for students to return to their schools in fall and lashed out at his own top health agency.

“The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if US schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”