The United States set records for a fourth consecutive day for COVID-19, with over 190,000 cases reported on Friday and over 68,000 people admitted to the hospital due to the virus. An estimated over 1,100 coronavirus fatalities per day were recorded over the previous week as officials nationwide declared new measures to mitigate the surge.
The US Sets a New Record
According to data collated by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg, U.S. coronavirus increased by a record on Friday, toppling the 152,255 cases reported on Wednesday evening. The tally was 190,059, and Friday was the ninth consecutive day with over 100,000 infections. Fatalities spiked to 2,238, the largest number since late June.
At least 25 states reported on Friday that their seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases increased by 30 percent from the previous day.
Each state registered a surge in new confirmed cases, with at least 10 states tabulating all-time highs. These include Midwestern states such as Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, and Kansas, where the rising numbers have pushed hospital capacity to threatening levels, reported The Washington Post.
Some 10.74 million people in the United States have contracted COVID-19 more than other nations. The US is also leading globally in COVID-19 fatalities with over 244,357 as of Saturday morning.
Hospitalizations for the respiratory illness also set a national record on Thursday for the third consecutive day, standing at 67,096, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The figure has doubled after five weeks.
Friday was the 11th straight day in which there were at least 100,000 recorded new cases.
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The reports come as public health experts and governors across the nation have pleaded with Americans to wear masks and follow social distancing regulations.
Officials throughout the country are declaring a wave of new measures in efforts to help combat the prevalence.
A stay-at-home measure for Chicago would be implemented on Monday. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker stated he could impose a statewide stay-at-home advisory soon.
According to Johns Hopkins University statistics, the US stands at 10.1 million cases, along with 238,000 fatalities. The tally accounts for an estimated 20% of the 50.9 million cases globally.
There were no plans for a nationwide lockdown to curb the ravaging pandemic, as a single-day record is set of over 167,000 new COVID-19 cases.
The daily tally has more than doubled in 13 states in the previous two weeks, mostly in the Midwest.
The growing dire situation has prompted an increasing list of local and state governments to reimpose measures they relaxed during a summertime receding in outbreaks.
Public health officials across the country are concerned about hospitals being too crowded.
"We're announcing today we are going to re-establish a field hospital with 240 beds," according to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's announcement at a press conference on Friday, reported CBS News.
New York City could close schools as soon as Monday as statewide COVID-19 cases reached 5,000, its peak since spring, reported BNN Bloomberg.
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