Second-highest number of new coronavirus cases reported on Election Day

The U.S. reported its second-highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases on Election Day, when many Americans were motivated to vote by President Trump’s response to the pandemic. 

More than 91,000 new cases were reported Tuesday, according to a tracker by Johns Hopkins University.

The highest count was reported Friday, with more than 99,000 new cases. 

Nearly 9.4 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the U.S., including more than 232,000 deaths. 

Several states recorded record highs Tuesday, including Ohio and Minnesota. 

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported daily has accelerated in recent weeks as the cold weather forces people to spend more time indoors, where the virus spreads more easily. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also attributed the increase to small indoor gatherings and events where people are letting their guards down and not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.

COVID-19 has been a key issue in the race for the White House, with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden pushing for a stronger federal response and President Trump insisting the nation is “rounding the corner” on the pandemic. 

But Trump’s own health advisers have warned that the U.S. is heading into the most dangerous days of the pandemic.

“We are entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic … leading to increasing mortality,” Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, wrote in a memo to White House and agency officials Monday. 

“This is not about lockdowns — it hasn’t been about lockdowns since March or April. It’s about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented.”

Instead of pursuing aggressive action, Trump has threatened to fire Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, and falsely claimed that cases are increasing because of more testing.