The US coronavirus caseload has reached record heights with more than 83,000 infections reported in a single day, the latest ominous sign of the disease's grip on the nation.
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The US death toll, meanwhile, has grown to 223,995, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard published by Johns Hopkins University.
The total US caseload reported on the site on Friday was 83,757, topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16.
The impact is being felt in every section of the country
The seven-day rolling average for new daily COVID-19 cases in the US surpassed 61,140 on Thursday, compared with 44,647 two weeks ago.
The US surge mirrors a similarly widespread spike in Europe, where Rome, Paris and other major cities are reining in nightlife as part of the increasingly drastic measures undertaken to slow the spread of the pandemic.
French authorities said the country had recorded over 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, becoming the second country in Western Europe after Spain to reach that number.
The head of the World Health Organisation warned that countries in the Northern Hemisphere are at a "critical juncture" as cases and deaths continue to rise.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continued to tout the US approach to the virus.
"We're rounding the turn ... our numbers are incredible," Trump told supporters in Lumberton, North Carolina.
He also criticised Joe Biden for saying during their debate that the country is headed for a dark winter because of the pandemic - something health experts have been warning for months.
Australian Associated Press
