US records deadliest COVID-19 day since early May

The United States recorded nearly 2,100 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, making it the deadliest day since early May. 

The U.S. logged 2,092 deaths on Tuesday, according to data from The Washington Post, which noted that a combined 2,611 fatalities were reported on May 6. The latest grim milestone comes less than one week after the U.S. hit over 2,000 deaths in one day for the first time since May. 

The records come amid an expected surge ahead of the winter months as the colder weather forces more people to remain indoors, where the virus can spread more easily. The White House coronavirus task force recently issued a warning to states of “aggressive, rapid, and expanding” spread of cases that requires a “significant behavior change” from all Americans ahead of the holidays. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week warned against traveling for Thanksgiving as cases spread, and several states have imposed new lockdowns and tighter coronavirus restrictions in an attempt to limit infections around the holiday.

A model from Washington University in St. Louis predicts that the U.S. could reach 20 million cases by Jan. 20, nearly doubling the current 12.5 million infections already reported. 

More than 3.1 million cases have been reported in the U.S. since the beginning of November, CNN reported on Tuesday, the most reported in a single month. On Sunday, the nation marked the 20th straight day of more than 100,000 new confirmed cases.

Over 12.5 million cases have been reported since the start of the pandemic, according to the Post’s data. More than 259,000 people in America have died.