US coronavirus cases shatter records, San Francisco imposes lockdown
- The US logged a record 225,201 new infections on Friday
- The San Francisco Bay area is imposing stay-at-home rules to prevent hospitals from becoming overrun by Covid-19 cases
In that same period, the country recorded 2,506 coronavirus-related deaths, according to real-time data provided by the Baltimore-based university.
The US had surpassed 200,000 new daily cases three times in the past month, peaking at more than 210,000 between Wednesday and Thursday.
US health officials warned of a surge after millions of Americans travelled to celebrate last week’s Thanksgiving holiday despite pleas from authorities to stay home.
The staggering increase in cases is leading to fresh lockdown orders in California as the state seeks to prevent hospitals from becoming overrun by Covid-19 infections.
Five counties – encompassing areas including San Francisco, Oakland and much of Silicon Valley – along with the City of Berkeley plan to adopt measures including shutting down personal care services, outdoor restaurant operations and entertainment venues, county health officers said on Friday. The rules will be effective December 6 until January 4.