In the United States, 1.6 million new cases of Covid were reported in the week to 20 December, the World Health Organization has said, the highest number of new cases for any single country. That weekly US increase was a rise of 14%.
The UN health agency WHO’s weekly update came as California recorded a half-million coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, overwhelming emergency rooms across the state.
Joe Biden meanwhile said his administration will put forward another Covid-19 relief package next year, including a new round of stimulus payments.
“Here is the simple truth: Our darkest days in the battle against Covid are ahead of us, not behind us,” he said.
Covid-19 has infected more than 77.7 million people and killed over 1.7 million in the world, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Over 43.6 million people have recovered from the infection.
