As Omicron Spreads Fast, US Reports Record 1.48 Mln Daily New Cases

Within a week of setting an all-time world record of 1 million new Covid cases in a day in the United States, a new high was recorded on Monday.

With 14,84000 new cases, the total number of people infected with coronavirus in the U.S. has risen to 61,558,085, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

This is almost 50 percent higher than the previous record of a little more than 1 million new cases registered in the country last Monday.

The unusually high Monday toll may be attributed to adding holiday weekend backlog due to reporting delays. However, this is the highest case number recorded in a single day since the pandemic broke out in the country and elsewhere in the world.

The seven-day average of cases recorded yesterday – 775489 – also was an all-time high figure. The increase in the weekly average of cases continues to be above 200 percent.

The skyrocketing number of infections does not turn severe or lead to deaths as the New Omicron variant is not as dangerous as the Delta variant, in spite of its fast-spreading nature.

With 1906 additional casualties, the total Covid death toll has risen to 839,500. There is a 36 percent rise in the weekly average of Covid deaths.

California reported the most number of cases – 2,28000 – on Monday, while Illinois led in casualties, 256.

Hospitalizations increased by 83 percent in a fortnight, to 135,559.

42,505,374 people in the country have recovered from the disease so far.

As per the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 207,796,335 Americans, or 62.6 percent of the eligible population, have been administered both doses of Covid vaccine so far. This includes 87.8 percent of people above 65.

More than 75 million people, or 36.5 percent of the eligible population, have already received a booster dose that is recommended to provide additional protection.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department headquarters has moved to Health Protection Condition Charlie amid the surge in the pandemic.

“Due to the recent increasing spread of COVID-19 … this morning the Pentagon officially went to HPCON Charlie, to protect our workforce, their families, our communities and our support to the absolutely critical mission of this department,” Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a briefing Monday.

The Defense Department has five “health protection conditions,” beginning with 0, or “routine,” and then to Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. When the HPCON is C, or “Charlie,” an area is experiencing “sustained community transmission.”

Source: Read Full Article