WASHINGTON – The United States yesterday set a grim double record, notching more than 3,700 deaths and over 250,000 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has seen a spectacular spike in Covid-19 infections for more than a month now, with some 113,000 people currently hospitalised due to the virus, also a new record, according to data from the Health and Human Services Department.
The tally marks the third time in the past week that the US has crossed the threshold of 3,000 deaths. The previous 24-hour record was set in late April at the height of the country’s first wave – which never totally ended.
Over the last two weeks, the number of new cases in 24 hours has climbed above 200,000 for 11 out of 14 days.
Yesterday’s exact death toll was 3,784 fatalities over the previous 24 hours leading up to 8.30pm (0130 GMT today).
Health officials had feared the Thanksgiving holiday late last month would lead to a fresh outbreak of the coronavirus after millions of Americans travelled to join friends and family.
Experts now fear the situation will become even more dire, following end-of-year celebrations including the Christmas holiday.
The latest records were set even as the nation undergoes its first week of a mass vaccination programme aimed at stopping the surging pandemic.
On Monday, the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine injections were administered in the US, although authorities warn that it will still be months before a large enough portion of the population is immunised. – AFP, December 17, 2020
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