US sets new record with over 3,000 COVID deaths in a single day

The United States set a new record for coronavirus deaths in a single day on Wednesday, with more than 3,000 people dying from the virus, a daunting toll as its spread only worsens. 

The U.S. recorded 3,054 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, according to The COVID Tracking Project, beating the previous record from the spring, which was 2,769 deaths on May 7. 

Deaths lag behind cases and hospitalizations, which have been spiking for weeks, and now the death toll is setting records too. The spread of the virus shows no signs of slowing down in the short term as winter weather sets in and more activity moves indoors, where the virus spreads more easily. 

There are more than 106,000 people in the hospital with the coronavirus, according to The COVID Tracking Project, also a record. The country is averaging a staggering total of more than 200,000 new cases every day. 

There is hope from vaccines on the horizon, but they likely will not be widely available until sometime in the spring, meaning there are still several brutal months of the pandemic to go. 

Health experts are urging the public to step up precautions for a few more months until people are vaccinated. Those precautions include wearing a mask, avoiding indoor gatherings and places such as bars where maskless people spread the virus, staying six feet away from others, and washing your hands. 

Still, COVID-19 fatigue has set in among some people after months of the virus. Many governors have not closed down indoor dining and bars despite the rampant spread of the virus across the country.  

Congress has been deadlocked for months on additional economic relief, which would ease the burden on businesses that have to close or limit activities and help slow the spread of the virus. 

Cases are still on a steep upward trajectory, meaning the situation is likely to only get worse. 

Travel and gatherings around the holidays can also fuel the spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising people that the safest option is not to travel.