(Reuters) – The novel coronavirus has killed more than 110,000 people in the United States, according to a Reuters tally on Sunday, as nationwide protests against racial injustice spark fears of a resurgence of the virus.

About 1,000 Americans have died on average each day so far in June, down from a peak of 2,000 a day in April, according to the tally of state and county data on COVID-19 deaths. (Reuters interactive: tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T)

Total U.S. coronavirus cases are approaching 2 million, the highest in the world followed by Brazil with about 672,000 cases and Russia with about 467,000.

Several southern U.S. states reported sharp increases in COVID-19 infections, with Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia all seeing new cases rise 35% or more in the week ended May 31 compared with the prior week, according to a Reuters analysis.

Globally, coronavirus cases are approaching 7 million with about 400,000 deaths since the outbreak began in China late last year and then arrived in Europe and the United States.

Of the 20 most severely affected countries, the United States ranks eighth based on deaths per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has 3.3 fatalities per 10,000 people. Belgium is first with eight deaths per 10,000, followed by the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Sweden, according to the Reuters analysis.