For the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, the United States has recorded more than 4,000 virus-related deaths in one day. It’s the third day in a row that the country has topped its own single-day deaths high—this time, 4,085 Americans lost their lives in just 24 hours, according to figures from pandemic trackers at Johns Hopkins University. For comparison, several countries—such as Japan, Australia, and South Korea—have recorded far less than 4,000 deaths during the entire pandemic. An additional 274,703 U.S. COVID-19 cases were recorded on the same day, as the pandemic accelerates across the nation. In Arizona, one out of every 119 people has tested positive this week, making the state into what health officials have called the latest “hot spot of the world” for the virus.
