The number means the country holds about a quarter of global cases of the virus and also tops the list with the most reported deaths in the world. Of the country's 5,036,387 estimated cases, 162,851 have been deadly, according to data collected by John Hopkins University.

To put the number in perspective, that means the United States has had more Covid-19 cases than Ireland has people. The number of cases is also slightly higher than the entire population of Alabama.

To put the speed in which the number is growing in perspective: It took the country 99 days to reach 1 million, 43 days to hit 2 million, 28 days for 3 million and 15 days to surpass 4 million on July 23. The number has jumped to 5 million in 17 days.

"This is such a sobering number," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University.

"That's a huge number of cases and a very large number of hospitalizations and deaths -- and more to come," Schaffner said. "Because over much of this country, this virus is spreading unimpeded because so many folks are not getting with the program to contain it."

As of this week, five states account for more than 40% of US infections: California (with the most cases in the country), Florida, Texas, New York and Georgia.

"Our daily numbers remain low and steady, despite increasing infection rates across the country, and even in our region -- and we had the lowest one-day positive rate since we started," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Sunday. "That's an incredible achievement, all thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers."

Florida reported 6,190 new cases on Sunday -- the 13th consecutive day the state reported more than 6,000 cases, according to CNN's tally. There are more than 527,000 cases among residents in the state, according to the state Department of Health.

In Texas, the governor extended his disaster declaration as the state reported its highest seven-day positivity rate: 19.41%. The previous high, 17.43%, was recorded around mid-July. More than 481,000 infections have been reported statewide and about 7,872 people remain in hospitals.

Schools begin welcoming students back

Local school districts will decide what their reopenings will look like, whether they choose to return in-person, conduct remote learning or opt for a hybrid model.

Officials will be "looking like hawks at the numbers," Carranza said. "If the numbers of the positivity rate start inching upwards and if it gets to 3%, we will remote learn for the entire system."

In Georgia, many schools have already reopened.

"I guarantee you, any number of people brought the virus to this event and it will spread among many of the participants and will be taken back to their homes where they will spread it further," Dr. Schaffner from Vanderbilt University told CNN on Sunday. "This is an accelerant of the outbreak that we're having in the United States today."

South Dakota has so far recorded one of the lowest number of cases with about 9,605 infections, according to Johns Hopkins data.

Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease professor at Emory University, isn't worried about the rally itself because it will mostly be outside, he said. Instead, he said he fears what will happen after hours, when people go to restaurants, bars and begin congregating indoors.

"I'm quite concerned that this event could potentially be a disaster," he said. "There could not only be a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people could get infected there and go back to their home states and take the virus over there."

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US tops 5 million Covid-19 cases, with five states making up more than 40% of tally - CNN