US sees its SECOND consecutive day of record-high coronavirus cases as more than 99,000 new infections are reported in just 24 hours
The United States recorded 99,321 new COVID infections on Friday, smashing a single-day record set just 24 hours earlier.
Friday's number is a significant increase on the 88,521 infections clocked on Thursday - the previous record - which suggest the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly worsening as the country heads into winter.
Prior to Thursday, the highest number of single-day infections was 83,718, recorded last Saturday.
In total, 9,091,306 Americans have now become infected with the virus, accounting for more than 20 percent of all confirmed cases worldwide.
COVID cases are trending upwards, suggesting pandemic is rapidly worsening as the country heads into winter. The country recorded 99,321 new COVID infections on Friday, smashing a single-day record which was set just 24 hours earlier
The number of deaths daily is also creeping back up, with 1,030 citizens succumbing to the disease on Friday.
That is up from 971 fatalities reported on Thursday and the 994 recorded on Wednesday.
A staggering 230,119 American have now died from COVID-19.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the seven-day rolling average number of new daily cases also hit a high of 78,765 - double the level seen two months ago - according to a DailyMail.com analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that 'more testing equals more cases' and claimed that COVID-19 coronavirus deaths are 'WAY DOWN' with assertions the US is 'rounding the turn.'
Death rates have dropped for the most severely ill patients - from more than 25 percent to less than 10 percent, according to one New York City hospital - but experts say the recent surge in infections could undo the progress.
The surge in cases comes as Dr. Deborah Birx issued a warning to the nation's governors saying that one-third of the country is already a coronavirus hotspot and that things could get even worse.
President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that 'more testing equals more cases'. A nursing assistant is pictured preparing a COVID test in Wisconsin earlier this week
In the call Friday, Birx urged governors to promote mask wearing and social distancing in their states as the only way the virus could be stopped from spreading.
'This is a broad surge across every state where it is cooling,' Birx told governors, according to CBS.
'We're learning from the far north about how dramatic that spread can be, and we do not see yet improvements in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin.'
She added that people must decrease indoor activity with family and friends with the aim of forming 'a bridge of human behavior change over the next few weeks' that would combat the spread.
Dr. Fauci was also on the call with governors, stating that that U.S. should know in December if a vaccine will be available.
'We should know sometime in December whether or not we have a safe and effective vaccine, or more than one vaccine,' Fauci said.
He added that doses of the vaccine, likely from either Moderna or Pfizer, were already prepared 'so we can hit the ground running' if a decision is made to grant it emergency use authorization.
WH Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx urged governors to promote masks and social distancing on Friday as she warned of a 'broad surge' of COVID-19 cases