COVID-19 Pandemic Update: Second COVID Wave – US Deaths Top 250,000 As Mortality Worst Since Spring

Summary:

• US mortality rate rises 1,870 fatalities in a week, in which the death rate increased pretty rapidly.
• California reported record infections for the second consecutive day as total U.S. cases surpassed 12 million.
• New Jersey also broke a record, passing 300,000 cases.
• Virus surge threatens newfound U.S. corporate profit optimism.
• Hospitalizations in the US have reached a new record, with the midwestern prairie states seeing the highest hospitalization rates.

• Spain’s campaign to vaccinate its population is slated to begin in January and will be voluntary.
• In Poland, a brief series of closures are coming to an end, as shopping malls will reopen while keeping restaurants, movie theaters and schools closed until a vaccine arrives.
• Germany’s RKI said the country added nearly 23,000 new cases on Saturday, lifting its total north of 900,000 cases.
• Hungary suffers a record 121 deaths from the virus on Saturday though the number of hospitalized patients and new infections continued to level off
• Russia sees record 467 deaths from the virus over the past 24 hours bringing the “official” death toll to 35,778.
• Hong Kong added 45 new coronavirus cases Saturday, the highest daily toll in three months after the city imposed new social restrictions.
• Across Europe, outbreaks have finally started to slow as new lockdown measures show their impact, though deaths and hospitalizations remain elevated.