U.S. COVID-19 cases hit new 1-day record of about 120,000

The U.S. diagnosed another record number of COVID-19 cases on Thursday — 121,000, according to counts by The New York Times and Johns Hopkins University, just over 116,000 according to the COVID Tracking Project and The Washington Post. The U.S. registered more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths for the a third day a day. And the total U.S. deaths are 234,937, out of 9.6 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins.
"No region of the country is being spared from the onslaught: The 20 states reporting record single-day increases on Thursday span New England, the Midwest, the Great Plains, and the Pacific Northwest," the Post reports. Hospitalizations are rising and deaths rose 22 percent in the past two weeks, the Times reports. "The spread of the coronavirus is so out of control that 1 out of every 100 people in the United States has now tested positive for the virus in just the past two months," Times reporter Mike Baker notes.
"Colorado, I love you. This is an intervention," Gov. Jared Polis (D) said Thursday, as his state hit new hospitalization and infection records. "Cancel your social plans the next few weeks, avoid interacting with others. Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Let's get through this."
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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