US sets record for coronavirus cases a day after election

Gulf Today Report

New confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States set a one-day record. The virus has climbed to an all-time high of more than 86,000 per day on average.

According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, daily new confirmed coronavirus cases have surged 45% over the past two weeks, to a record 7-day average of 86,352. Deaths are also on the rise, up 15 per cent to an average of 846 deaths every day.

In a glimpse of the worsening crisis that lies ahead for the winner of the presidential election, cases and hospitalizations are setting records all around the country just as the holidays and winter approach. It is demonstrating the challenge that either President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden will face in the coming months.

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"Where we are is in an extremely dire place as a country. Every metric that we have is trending in the wrong direction. This is a virus that will continue to escalate at an accelerated speed and that is not going to stop on its own,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert at George Washington University.

It is demonstrating the challenge that either President Donald Trump or Joe Biden will face in the coming months.

Dr. Susan Bailey, president of the American Medical Association, said there are things Americans can do now to help change the trajectory.

"Regardless of the outcome of the election, everyone in America needs to buckle down,″ Bailey said.

"A lot of us have gotten kind of relaxed about physically distancing, not washing our hands quite as often as we used to, maybe not wearing our masks quite as faithfully. We all need to realize that things are escalating and we’ve got to be more careful than ever,” she said.

Polls showed the public health crisis and the economy were top concerns for many Americans.