As the daily toll from Covid-19 in the United States passed 2 000 for the first time since May, California imposed a night-time curfew at the weekend in a bid to contain the surge in infections.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the state’s latest figures are now worse than at the previous peak in August.
The US now has more than 12 million confirmed infections, with by far the highest global death toll of more than 255 000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The BBC reports that some 187 000 new infections were recorded nationwide in the latest figures – released on Friday for the previous day – which is an all-time high.
Several states have imposed new mask mandates and restrictions to try to combat the rise, and in Texas the National Guard is being deployed to the city of El Paso to help with morgue operations there.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also urged Americans to avoid travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday on 26 November to prevent increased transmissions.
Thanksgiving typically heralds the busiest week for travel in the US. Last year, an estimated 26 million people passed through the country’s airports in the week of the holiday.
[Picture: Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash]