The US death toll from Covid-19 hit a new daily record of nearly 4,500, Johns Hopkins University has said. As the health crisis rages out of control in the US, this was the first time the toll in the country hardest hit by the pandemic surpassed 4,000 in 24 hours.
The US recorded more than 235,000 new cases of coronavirus infection and 4,470 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins tally as of 8.30pm (1.30am Irish time).
Around 131,000 people are now hospitalised in the US with Covid-19, said the Covid Tracking Project. The weekly average of fatalities is at its highest level since the pandemic started, it said.
Faced with these grim numbers and the presence of the new, more contagious Covid variant, authorities announced that people wishing