US Shatters Global Record, Reports 1.1 Mln New COVID Cases

By Staff, Agencies

The United States reported at least 1.13 million new COVID cases on Monday, shattering the global record as the spread of the highly-contagious omicron variant shows no signs of slowing.

A large number of cases are recorded on Mondays due to many states not reporting over the weekend.

According to a Reuters tally, the seven-day average for new cases tripled in two weeks to over 700,000 new infections a day.

Not all states disclosed new numbers on Monday, so the final figure is likely to be even higher.

The record in new cases came as the nation saw the number of hospitalized COVID patients also hit an all-time high, doubling in three weeks.

More than 135,500 people were hospitalized with COVID, surpassing the record of 132,051 in January 2021.

While omicron is potentially less severe than other variants, health officials warn that the sheer number of infections could overwhelm hospitals that are also struggling with staff shortages.

The case surge is again disrupting schools as well, amid an absence of teachers, staff, and bus drivers.

New York City halted service on three subway lines due to a large number of workers out sick, and companies’ plans for employees to return to office were derailed.

COVID deaths in the US are averaging 1,700 per day, up from 1,400 in recent days.

According to Pfizer, a redesigned COVID vaccine that specifically targets omicron is needed.