US records over 100,000 COVID-19 cases in a single day for first time

The United States on Wednesday recorded more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time during the pandemic as the outbreak continues to worsen heading into winter. 

The country reported a new record of more than 103,000 cases on Wednesday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. 

While President Trump has downplayed the rising cases by saying they are simply due to more people being tested, the number of hospitalizations is also rising, a sign that the outbreak is also worsening.

There are about 52,000 people currently in the hospital with coronavirus, according to the COVID Tracking Project. That number continues to rise every day, given that it lags behind cases. 

There were also more than 1,100 deaths on Wednesday. Deaths tend to increase behind cases and hospitalizations. 

The rising numbers are a sign of how severe the outbreak is in the United States, with no sign of slowing down anytime soon as the weather gets colder and people move indoors, where the virus spreads more easily. 

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the threat of the virus and called for opening up businesses. Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who has been called the winner of the presidential election in several key states so far, has made much more forceful government action against the virus a key part of his platform. 

Biden has called for ramping up the manufacturing of rapid tests as well as more protective equipment for health workers. He also wanted to establish evidence-based guidelines for when businesses should close based on the spread in a given area. The former vice president has also called on every governor to impose a mask mandate, while Trump has mocked masks and dismissed that idea. 

There were 34 states on Wednesday reporting more than 1,000 cases, according to the COVID Tracking Project, a new record. Hospitalizations also peaked in 16 states, and 20 states have more than 1,000 people hospitalized with the virus.