Single-day COVID-19 deaths hits record high

Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday that December and January could “be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.” More than 3,100 Americans died of the coronavirus on Wednesday, more than the previous high of 2,603 set on April 15, according to Johns Hopkins University. The COVID Tracking project reported that the number of U.S. hospitalizations passed 100,000 for the first time.

What about the lower numbers over the weekend? Health authorities expected the data to fluctuate around Thanksgiving. Holidays and weekends can mean closed testing sites and create a backlog of data. The country recorded more than 200,000 new infections on Wednesday, and the number of people in the hospital with the virus has doubled over the past month. Los Angeles on Wednesday implemented a stay-at-home order that allows businesses to stay open if they follow certain guidelines and makes exceptions for some gatherings, including church services.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Hickman’s report on the ethical concerns associated with different coronavirus vaccines in Vitals.