WASHINGTON,   (Xinhua) -- An internal U.S. government report is projecting a steady rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths over the next several weeks, reaching about 3,000 daily deaths on June 1, according to The New York Times on Monday.

The number is nearly double from the current level of about 1,750, according to the report.

The projections, based on government modeling pulled together in chart form by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, forecast about 200,000 new cases each day by the end of the month, up from about 25,000 cases now, according to the report.

After weeks of shutdown measures, many states of the United States have begun to slowly open up. But health experts have expressed concern that premature opening could lead to a spike in new COVID-19 infections.

The United States continues to see a soaring number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, as over 1,170,000 cases and 68,000 deaths have been reported nationwide by 14:00 Eastern Time Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University tally.   ■