The United States has recorded more than 4,000 new coronavirus deaths in a single day for the first time ever, adding another grim record to a catastrophic health crisis that continues to overwhelm hospitals and devastate families around the country.
Thursday’s tally of 4,085 deaths, confirmed by Johns Hopkins University, exceeds the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor death tolls by more than 1,000. It was a troubling sign that the holiday season and resulting family gatherings and crowded airports are likely driving the pandemic to unprecedented levels.
The U.S. also recorded nearly 275,000 new infections on Thursday, with cases soaring in Arizona, California, Florida, Texas and New York.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, warned that the latest COVID-19 surge might actually get worse.
“As we get into the next couple of weeks in January, that likely will be a reflection of the holiday season travel and the congregate settings that usually take place socially during that period of time,” he told NPR in an interview Thursday.
The tragic news comes as two experimental vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna slowly make their way around the country. About 6 million Americans have gotten at least one shot of either vaccine since the Federal Drug Administration approved them for emergency use last month.
Fauci said he hopes the vaccine rollout will accelerate under President-elect Joe Biden.
“We want to get it to 1 million vaccinations per day, as the president-elect has mentioned,” Fauci told NPR.
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to lead the world in the overall number of coronavirus infections and deaths, with nearly 22 million cases and more than 367,000 deaths since the pandemic erupted early last year.
Brazil just topped 200,000 deaths on Thursday while India has recorded more than 150,000.
