US states see record rise in COVID cases as cold weather arrives

At least nine US states have reported record increases in COVID-19 cases during the last seven days, mostly in the upper Midwest and West where colder weather is forcing people indoors. Health experts have long warned that colder temperatures driving people inside could promote the spread of the virus. Daytime highs in the upper Midwest are now in the 10s Celsius (50s Fahrenheit). Four states – Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin – saw record increases in new cases, according to a Reuters analysis. Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming also set new records for cases last week. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported an increase of at least 49,327 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by at least 703. While the death rate has gone down by about 12 percent, nearly 210,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19.   style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">