Retaining its place as the hardest-hit country in the world, the United States on Thursday hit a new record-high in daily confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Second Consecutive Day of Over 100,000 Cases
On Thursday, the U.S. logged 118,629 new confirmed coronavirus cases, marking the second consecutive day of more than 100,000 infections in the country. Thursday also marked a new record-high in daily cases for the world's largest economy.
Aside from the new daily record, the U.S. also logged at least 1,187 deaths linked to the disease, marking an increase of almost 20% from the previous Thursday's death toll.
Among the current hardest-hit states in the second wave are Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Utah, Minnesota, and Colorado.
As of Thursday, over 53,000 people are hospitalized in the U.S. and a joint forecast published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected up to 266,000 deaths by the end of the month.
Fauci's Prediction on Point
Before the United States passed the 100,000-mark in daily cases Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, warned in June that the country is likely to set the said record.
At that time, Fauci noted that the infection rate rising above 100,000 will be determined if Americans would not comply with anti-coronavirus measures.
When Fauci delivered his prediction before a U.S. Senate committee, President Donald Trump criticized the former and tagged his projections as causing alarm to the general public.
Despite the criticism, Fauci continued to speak before the media, urging Americans and people around the world to practice proper social distancing, to wash hands properly, and to wear face masks.
Kansas City ICUs Filling Up Fast
In Kansas City, almost a quarter of intensive care units have been occupied by COVID-19 patients, but the numbers continue to climb across the hard-hit state.
Data from the Mid-American Regional Council indicated that an average of 120 patients are admitted to hospitals around the Kansas City area on a daily basis, raising concerns about the hospitals' being overwhelmed in the coming weeks.
Dr. David Wild of the KU Hospital urged residents to "do your part to make sure we're not in a situation where we are worried about being overwhelmed."
Earlier in the year, hospital capacity wasn't a problem in Kansas but over the past few weeks, federal data suggested that the numbers are changing fast and an overwhelming scenario is possible as cases surge further.
As of Thursday, Kansas has logged over 93,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 1,000 deaths.
White House Tags Tennessee as 'Red Zone' State
Tennessee has been added to the U.S. government's list of "red zone" states as the state ranked 5th overall in the total number of new deaths per 100,000 residents.
According to data from the Center for Public Integrity, Tennessee is now ranked 16th in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. The state has also climbed up the ranks in positivity rate at 14th place.
With Tennessee in the "red zone" states list, the White House's list has ballooned to 38. As of Thursday, the state has logged over 270,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and over 3,000 deaths.
