US sets global record of over 1 million daily Covid-19 cases after Fauci warns of 'vertical increase'

Amid the spread of the Omicron variant at a blistering pace, the United States has recorded over 1 million daily Covid-19 cases as per data from Johns Hopkins University.

It has also reported 1,688 deaths for the same period according to a new tally. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Omicron variant was estimated to be 58.6 per cent of the coronavirus variants circulating in the United States.

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Top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci had said the country is experiencing "almost a vertical increase" in Covid-19 cases but the peak may be only weeks away.

He had also highlighted that there was still a danger of a surge in hospitalization due to a large number of coronavirus cases even as early data suggests the Omicron COVID-19 variant is less severe.

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Across the US, new COVID-19 cases have tripled in the past two weeks to over 400,000 a day, the highest level on record, amid a rush by many Americans to get tested.

The high infection rates and resulting worker shortages are putting a heavy burden on employers large and small. Thousands of airline flights have been canceled in recent days, and many businesses have shelved return-to-work plans.

Meanwhile, the CDC had reduced the recommended isolation period for people with asymptomatic COVID to five days, down from 10.

“We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

(With inputs from agencies)