The number of daily COVID-19 cases in the United States increased to a record high as the massively mutated omicron variant spread at a breakneck rate.
The U.S. reported over 1 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, the largest daily total of any country and nearly double the previous week's peak, as the highly contagious Omicron strain showed no indication of easing.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, there were 1,082,548 new cases recorded in the country on Monday following the long New Year's weekend.
While Mondays typically see a spike in infection rates because of weekend tallying delays, the newest figure is nearly double that of the prior Monday.
On December 30, the previous day high was 590,574.
Based on data by Reuters, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has increased about 50% in the last week and currently exceeds 100,000, the first time in a year.
The new data comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.' top pandemic advisor, stated that the country was experiencing a "almost vertical surge" in coronavirus cases. Fauci pointed out that the climax might be just weeks away.
Fauci added South Africa's experience - where the strain was discovered in late November, peaked swiftly, and then declined nearly as quickly - offered some optimism.
Biden advised unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated and those who were already immunized to get booster doses, noting that cases were increasing even at the White House.
"The unvaccinated are clogging hospital beds, emergency departments, and acute care units," the president stated Tuesday during a meeting with his COVID-19 response team at the White House.
Biden dubbed the current wave an "unvaccinated epidemic."
The latest spike, which led commercial airlines to cancel thousands of flights to Broadway shows in recent weeks, was affecting plans for public schools to reopen after the holiday break.
In Los Angeles County, the presiding judge of one of the country's major court systems ordered a two-week suspension of all criminal cases in response to the newest COVID-19 infection wave.
In Chicago, union leaders urged teachers in the nation's third-largest school district to remain at home during the reopening of classrooms.
Although death and hospitalization rates in the U.S. have decreased in recent weeks in comparison to prior spikes in case counts, the sheer volume of new cases is alarming some health providers.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposed reducing the recommended COVID-19 isolation period from 10 to five days.
