The US reached a grim milestone in its fight against the coronavirus Wednesday when it surpassed 3 million cases nationwide, data shows.
In the last 28 days, a whopping 1 million new cases were recorded — bringing the national total to 3 million since March. Since January, more than 130,000 Americans have died from the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
On Tuesday, the US broke a new record for the most cases confirmed in a single day at 60,021.
While the death rate has declined in recent weeks, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday “it’s a false narrative to take comfort in a lower death rate.”
As New York knows all too well, it can take patients weeks, or even months, before they succumb to the virus.
But California, which has seen the highest number of cases in the country behind New York, just experienced its deadliest week since the end of May, the Mercury News reported.
California saw at least 100 COVID-19 deaths for the third time in the past week, as the weekly average of virus fatalities rose to its highest level in a month, the outlet said.
Aside from deaths, one of the main indicators of the virus’ true impact is the condition of hospitals. Florida, which has the third-highest number of cases nationwide, just below California and above Texas, has run out of ICU capacity in 54 infirmaries, Reuters reported.
Arizona, which has the eighth-highest share of coronavirus cases nationwide, is seeing the bug’s impact on hospitals in Phoenix, the state’s largest city.
“Our hospital is already in dire straits, and they tell us in the next two weeks it is going to get to an unbearable level of crisis,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said Tuesday, according to CNN.
“We need medical professionals, we need testing kits, we need supplies immediately.”