For a second day in a row, US coronavirus cases rose by over 70 000 as Americans clashed over wearing masks and whether to reopen schools in a few weeks.
Cases on Friday rose by at least 70 674 after climbing by a record 77 499 on Thursday, the largest increase posted by any country since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.
US deaths on Friday rose by at least 912, the fourth day in a row that fatalities have risen by over 900 a day.
Coronavirus cases are rising in 41 of 50 states, according to a Reuters analysis of cases the past two weeks compared with the previous two weeks.
Deaths are rising in 19 states.
Texas on Friday reported a record daily increase in deaths for the third day in a row with 174 lives lost, bringing its death toll to a total of 3 735.
In addition to rising deaths and cases, six states reported a record number of COVID-19 patients in their hospitals.
Texas reported over 10 600 COVID-19 patients were hospitalised and Alabama, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina and South Carolina also reported record hospitalisations on Friday, according to a Reuters tally.
