The United States reported nearly 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a day on Friday, setting a record as a fall wave of infections spread widely around the country threatens to
overwhelm some health systems.
The milestone — the first daily tally above 90,000 — came a week after the country passed 80,000 cases in a day, breaking the record set during a summer case surge concentrated in the Sun Belt. Experts have long predicted another spike in cases as cold weather sends many indoors and aids the virus’s spread. The holiday travel season has public health officials worried too. And cases are surging in
every swing state that is crucial to next week’s presidential election.
Total confirmed cases in the U.S. topped 9 million Friday, with the last 1 million recorded in just over two weeks. Increased testing alone does not explain the jump in cases; current coronavirus hospitalizations are steadily rising again, though they have yet to surpass the summer’s peak.
Sixteen states surpassed their previous highs for daily new infections Friday. Known coronavirus-related deaths are nearing
230,000.
Some officials are enacting new rules to fight the viral wave. In Illinois, for instance, Friday’s record case count came as the state rolls out new restrictions on indoor dining. Illinois tallied 8,489 new cases, according to data tracked by The Post, far higher than the state’s last peak in May. About 1,500 of Friday’s cases are newly reported probable infections, which the state adds to its totals once a week.
Renewed restrictions aimed at slowing the virus are also facing pushback. In Wisconsin, a statewide order limiting indoor gatherings is caught up in a court challenge. In El Paso, Tex. — where hospitals are so full that critically ill coronavirus patients are being flown to other cities — the county judge’s
shutdown order for nonessential businesses drew an immediate rebuke from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who said the judge has “no authority” for the measure.
