By Stella Yifan Xie 

The U.S. coronavirus death toll will pass 180,000 and could reach 200,000 by Sept. 5, according to modelers whose forecasts are shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--a grim milestone in the country's efforts to battle the virus and revitalize its economy.

U.S. deaths currently number at least 168,446, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Total infections exceed 5.3 million, with the new cases logged Friday topping 50,000 for the third consecutive day, according to the Johns Hopkins data. The U.S. total represents about a quarter of the cases world-wide, which surpassed 21 million.

California became the first U.S. state to report more than 600,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. Deaths there exceed 11,000.

The CDC updated guidance for people who have recovered from a coronavirus infection, based on findings that they can continue to test positive for up to three months without being infectious to others. People should stay isolated for at least 10 days after symptoms appear and until 24 hours after their fever subsides, but after that need not "quarantine or get tested again for up to three months as long as they do not develop symptoms again," the CDC website says.

McKesson Corp. will lead the distribution of future coronavirus vaccines and related supplies, President Trump said Friday, part of the government's efforts to accelerate development and production of drugs and vaccines for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

More than a third of Americans surveyed, though, said they would choose not to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, an NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist poll released Friday showed, while 60% said they would take the shot. Still, that is more vaccine-positive than with the H1N1 flu in 2009, when the margin was 42% no and only 52% yes.

U.S. retail spending surpassed prepandemic levels in July, up 1.2% from June. But more economic pain may lie ahead: More-recent evidence suggests households are moderating spending in certain areas, in part because of the expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits at the end of July. A study published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research projects the elimination of the benefit will result in a 44% decline in local spending. The Senate failed to reach an agreement Thursday on a new economic relief package, and adjourned until Sept. 8. President Trump has acted to replace the payments with a $300-a-week benefit, but it isn't expected to reach workers for weeks.

Some Asian countries are seeing a resurgence in new cases.

South Korea on Saturday logged 166 new cases, its biggest single-day increase in five months, lifting its total past 15,000, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The government is restrengthening social-distancing rules for two weeks in the Seoul metropolitan area, where many of the new cases have flared up. Attendance at professional sporting events will be restricted, and government-designated high-risk locations--including public facilities, nightclubs, karaoke rooms and indoor concert halls--must adopt preventive measures such as mandatory masks.

China on Friday added 22 new infections, including 14 imported cases, said the country's health commission. In Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong, two workers inside a supermarket owned by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. tested positive on Friday. Freshippo, the supermarket chain, said it was closing all 21 of its Shenzhen stores starting Saturday to disinfect them and test the employees.

India's latest daily tallies were 65,002 new cases and 996 deaths, lifting its totals to 2,526,192 and 49,036, respectively, the health ministry reported Saturday. As the country marked its 74th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said mass production of a coronavirus vaccine--India has three experimental ones in development, he said--would begin soon after scientists give the green light. The celebration was scaled down this year, with safety protocols that included limiting the number of guests and handing out kits containing masks, sanitizers and gloves.

Hong Kong reported 48 new cases Friday, down from more than 100 three weeks ago. The government forecast the city's GDP will shrink by 6% to 8% this year, worse than its previous 4%-to-6% forecast. Second-quarter GDP was off by 9% from a year earlier.

Japan's Emperor Naruhito on Saturday made his first televised remarks on the virus. After alluding to the suffering from World War II--the speech fell on the 75th anniversary of his grandfather Hirohitos's historic radio address accepting the terms of surrender--Naruhito said the novel coronavirus has brought new hardships. He called on the nation to "join hands and overcome this difficult situation."

In New Zealand, which recently locked down its biggest city, Auckland, after a new outbreak, authorities said Saturday there were seven new cases of community transmission. Six were linked to previous cases, but one remains under investigation. That compares with 12 confirmed new cases and one probable case reported Friday.

In Australia's Victoria state, battling the region's worst coronavirus outbreak with strict lockdown measures, authorities Saturday reported 303 new cases in the past 24 hours, down from 372 the prior day, and four more deaths.

Write to Stella Yifan Xie at stella.xie@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 15, 2020 05:05 ET (09:05 GMT)