Texas became the first American state with more than one million confirmed Covid-19 cases, and California closed in on that mark as a surge of coronavirus infections engulfs the country from coast to coast.
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said all restaurants, bars and gyms statewide will have to close at 10 pm from this weekend.
It's a major retreat in a corner of the US that had seemingly brought the virus largely under control months ago.
He also barred private gatherings of more than 10 people.
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Advertise with NZME.Texas, the second-most populous state, has recorded 1.01 million coronavirus cases and over 19,000 deaths since the outbreak began in early March, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
California, the most populous state, has logged more than 991,000 cases.
The US has recorded over 240,000 deaths and about 10.3 million confirmed infections, with new cases soaring to all-time highs of well over 120,000 per day over the past week.
Health experts have blamed the increase in part on the onset of cold weather and growing frustration with mask-wearing and other precautions.
Cases per day are on the rise in 49 states, and deaths per day are climbing in 39.
A month ago, the US was seeing about 730 Covid-19 deaths per day on average; that has now surpassed 970.
Among the many health officials sounding the alarm was Dr Julie Watson of Integris Health in Oklahoma.
"We are in trouble," she said. "If nothing is done soon to slow the rise in cases, our hospitals will be more overwhelmed than they already are and we won't be able to be there for all of those who need it."
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Advertise with NZME.Oklahoma's health department said today that 1248 people were hospitalised for confirmed or probable coronavirus, shattering the previous one-day record of 1055.
Texas reported 10,865 new cases yesterday, breaking a record set in mid-July.
One of the hardest-hit places is the border city of El Paso; its county has nearly 28,000 active cases and has suffered more than 680 Covid-19 deaths.
The American Medical Association renewed its plea for mask-wearing, physical distancing and frequent hand-washing.
Many traditional Veterans Day celebrations gave way to virtual gatherings. Many veterans homes have barred visitors to protect their residents from the virus.
In New York City, a quiet parade of military vehicles, with no spectators, rolled through Manhattan to maintain the 101-year tradition of veterans marching on Fifth Avenue.
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Advertise with NZME.More than 4200 veterans have died from COVID-19 at hospitals and homes run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and nearly 85,000 have been infected, according to the department.
North Carolina reported its highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with 3119 people — 8 per cent of those tested - testing positive for the virus.
In Nebraska, which is setting records for the number of people hospitalised with the virus, new restrictions took effect. Those include a requirement that masks be worn at businesses where employees have close contact with customers for more than 15 minutes, such as barber shops, and a limit on large indoor gatherings to 25 per cent of a building's capacity.
North Dakota, according to Johns Hopkins data, continues to have the most new Covid-19 cases per capita in the nation, with one in every 83 residents testing positive in the past week.
- AP
