US daily COVID-19 cases top 1.4M, setting record
Hospitalizations are also rising during a surge of the omicron variant
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. tallied more than 1.4 million new COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
Case counts in the country totaled 1,483,656 on Jan. 10, a record high. At the beginning of the month, the previous record totaled 1.03 million.
The data tracker also showed 1,906 additional deaths.
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An influx of cases is reported each Monday, due to the fact that many states do not do so over the weekend.
Registered nurse Sara Nystrom prepares to enter a patient's room in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
California, where the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected, has now seen more than 6 million COVID-19 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hospitalizations in the U.S. are also rising, running at about 110,000 – or just short of last January's peak of 124,000.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows Florida, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., have the highest seven-day case rate per 100,000.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Friday, the agency said in a weekly review that cases continue to "increase rapidly" driven by omicron, which may account for 95% of cases.
The CDC shows the U.S. has recorded more than 60 million cases and 835,302 deaths so far.
"While early data suggest omicron infections might be less severe than those of other variants, the increases in cases and hospitalizations are expected to stress the health care system in the coming weeks," it cautioned.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The variant of concern is already having an impact on multiple industries – leading to canceled flights and disrupted education – and California health authorities announced over the weekend that hospital staff members who test positive but are symptom-free can continue working.
Some hospitals in Rhode Island and Arizona have likewise told employees they can stay on the job if they have no symptoms or just mild ones.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With lines for PCR tests including a sometimes hours-long wait and prices rising for at-home rapid antigen tests, the Biden administration announced this week that, starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for people on their plans.
While more Americans are getting booster shots – the CDC shows 75.8 million have been boosted – Pfizer's CEO Albert Bourla said a specific omicron vaccine is likely necessary and could be ready to launch by March.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.