The Latest: US reaches record daily toll of 3,309 deaths

Author: The Associated Press
Published:
covid-19
A healthcare worker finishes up organizing COVID-19 tests at a drive-thru testing center Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The U.S. has reached a record 3,309 daily coronavirus deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The deaths reported Friday exceeded by 6% the previous high of 3,124 deaths reported Wednesday.

The U.S. also reached a record daily confirmed infections at 231,775, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. That’s nearly 4,000 more than the previous high on Dec. 4.

The increases come as millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer start rolling into hospitals on Monday. The first vaccines will go to hospital staff and other health care professionals.

The U.S. leads the world in confirmed cases at 15.9 million and deaths at more than 296,000. The coronavirus has caused more than 1.6 million global deaths.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

U.S. officials say the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine will begin arriving in states Monday morning. Trucks will roll out Sunday morning as shipping companies deliver Pfizer’s vaccine to nearly 150 distribution centers across the United States.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump hasn’t publicly acknowledged this week’s record number of coronavirus deaths, hospitalizations and cases. He hailed the vaccine but made no mention of the toll the virus has taken.

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