U.S. tops 150,000 coronavirus deaths

COVID-19 deaths are rising at their fastest rate since May as California, Texas and Florida all set one-day records.

In the United States, over 150,000 people died of the coronavirus, far exceeding the toll in any other pandemic-hit region, and all of them have a daytime COVID-19 death record in the States of California , Florida and Texas.

According to Reuters news agency, the United States reported 1461 deaths on Wednesday, the biggest rise of a day since 1.484. In the last 24 hours one person died in the country of COVID-19 approximately every minute.

California had 185 fatalities, Florida reported 217 and Texas had at least 311 deaths with some counties yet to report. The three states together account for one-quarter of the total US population.

COVID-19 deaths have risen at their fastest rate in two months, increasing in the past 11 days by 10 000, while new infections do not seem to increase at the same rate.

In a series of tweets, the department encouraged people with coronavirus symptoms to “receive a self-swab test at state-supported drive-thru sites” prior to the closings, adding that those people “will be prioritized” and will receive their results within 72 hours. 

County health departments will continue to offer free COVID-19 tests, emergency management said.