US marks record 57,683 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours – tracker

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)— The US notched 57,683 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours Friday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, the third consecutive day with record numbers of new infections.

The Baltimore-based university’s tracker showed the total number of cases since the pandemic reached the US at 2,793,022 as of 8:30 pm (7:30 pm local time).

The university also recorded a further 728 fatalities, bringing the total US death toll to 129,405.

The new record case count came as infections surge in southern and western states, and as the United States – the hardest-hit country in the world in the coronavirus pandemic – heads into the July Fourth holiday weekend.