WASHINGTON: The United States set a grim double record on Wednesday with more than 3,700 deaths and more than 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 infections for more than a month, with about 113,000 people currently hospitalized for the virus, another record, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The census marks the third time in the past week that the United States has crossed the 3,000 death threshold. The previous 24-hour record was set in late April at the height of the country’s first wave – which never quite ended.
In the past two weeks, the number of new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours has risen above 200,000 for 11 of the 14 days.
The exact death toll on Wednesday was 3,784 fatalities in the past 24 hours prior to 8:30 pm (1:30 am GMT Thursday).
Health officials feared that the US Thanksgiving holiday would lead to another outbreak of the novel coronavirus in late November after millions of Americans traveled to join friends and family.
Experts now fear the situation will get worse after the end of year celebrations, including the Christmas holidays.
The latest records were set even as the United States is undergoing its first week of a massive vaccination program aimed at stopping the rising pandemic.
On Monday, the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine injections were administered in the United States, although authorities warn it will be months before a sufficiently large portion of the population is immunized.
Faced with the urgency of the situation and fears of vaccine shortages, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that six or even seven doses could be squeezed out of vials containing only five doses to avoid throwing away unused vaccine.
“Right now, given the public health emergency, the FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use any full dose available,” he said in a tweet, adding that Pfizer was on board with the recommendation.
The country has seen a spectacular spike in Covid infections for more than a month, with about 113,000 people currently hospitalized for the virus, another record, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The census marks the third time in the past week that the United States has crossed the 3,000 death threshold. The previous 24-hour record was set in late April at the height of the country’s first wave – which never quite ended.
In the past two weeks, the number of new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours has risen above 200,000 for 11 of the 14 days.
The exact death toll on Wednesday was 3,784 fatalities in the past 24 hours prior to 8:30 pm (1:30 am GMT Thursday).
Health officials feared that the US Thanksgiving holiday would lead to another outbreak of the novel coronavirus in late November after millions of Americans traveled to join friends and family.
Experts now fear the situation will get worse after the end of year celebrations, including the Christmas holidays.
The latest records were set even as the United States is undergoing its first week of a massive vaccination program aimed at stopping the rising pandemic.
On Monday, the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine injections were administered in the United States, although authorities warn it will be months before a sufficiently large portion of the population is immunized.
Faced with the urgency of the situation and fears of vaccine shortages, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that six or even seven doses could be squeezed out of vials containing only five doses to avoid throwing away unused vaccine.
“Right now, given the public health emergency, the FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use any full dose available,” he said in a tweet, adding that Pfizer was on board with the recommendation.