Schools abandon classes and states retreat as virus surges throughout US

A man in a face mask walks past a sign during the coronavirus outbreak in San Francisco (Jeff Chiu/AP)

School systems in multiple US states are giving up on in-person classes and some governors are reimposing strict social-distancing measures as the coast-to-coast resurgence of the coronavirus sends deaths, hospitalisations and new infections soaring.

The crisis has especially deepened at hospitals, with the situation so bad in North Dakota that the governor this week said nurses who test positive but have no symptoms can still work.