U.S. sets new record-high COVID-19 daily count as total cases surpass 12 million

The United States reported new record-high COVID-19 daily case count at nearly 200,000 on Friday, as the total number of confirmed cases surpassed 12 million on Saturday.

The country has recorded more than 12,059,686 cases with more than 255,800 related deaths as of Saturday evening, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. It took only six days for the country to add over 1 million infections to a record high of 11 million cases on Nov. 15.

A total of 192,673 new cases and 1,885 new deaths were recorded across the United States on Friday, according to data updated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday.

The new daily case count broke the previous world record set by the country on the previous day, and pushed the 7-day average daily increase to an all-time high of 164,850 cases.

It also marks the 13th consecutive day that daily case increase in the United States surpassed 100,000.

The new death tally brought the 7-day average daily increase to 1,434, the highest since mid-May.

Currently there are over 82,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the country, a record high since the onset of the pandemic in the country, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

Record numbers of cases and hospitalizations brought unprecedented pressure to the U.S. healthcare systems. Health experts are concerned that hospitals in most U.S. states may reach capacity this month.

By far, the United States remains as the nation worst hit by the pandemic, with the world’s most cases and deaths, making up more than 20 percent of the global caseload.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the CDC advised Americans not to travel for the holiday next week, as the country continues to see surging COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations.

“Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year,” the CDC said in a new guideline posted on its website earlier this week.

“Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu,” said the guideline.

The CDC noted that masks are intended to reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets, especially for asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infected wearers, who are estimated to account for more than 50 percent of transmissions.

Source: Xinhua