With COVID-19 cases surging across the United States, long-term care facilities experienced their highest weekly increase in six months, according to latest data of the COVID Tracking Project.
States reported 29,606 new COVID-19 cases in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care facilities over the past week, data showed. This represents a 17 percent increase, the highest weekly rise since the project started tracking the data in late May.
About 35 percent of the nation's long-term care deaths reported last week occurred in the Midwest, which is now the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, according to the project.
The United States reported 164,382 new COVID-19 cases and 1,602 new deaths Tuesday, according to data updated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.
It marks the 10th consecutive day that daily case count surpassed 100,000. Tuesday's case count pushed the 7-day average daily case increase to a record-high of 161,398.
Currently 47 U.S. states are reporting rising number of cases. At least 21 states have announced new restrictions this month, and at least 7 states have added or expanded mask mandates in the past week, according to CNN report.
Nearly 77,000 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 across the United States, highest since the outbreak of the pandemic. A total of 20 states reached their peak of COVID-19 hospitalizations on Tuesday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Record numbers of cases and hospitalizations brought unprecedented pressure to healthcare systems around the country. Health experts are concerned hospitals in most U.S. states may reach capacity this month.
The United States has recorded more than 11,424,000 cases with more than 249,400 related deaths as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
