U.S. Tops 70,000 Coronavirus Cases In 1 Day — Heights Not Seen Since July

The U.S. recorded 71,671 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most in one day since the outbreak hit alarming heights in July, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. One day earlier, around 63,000 new cases had been reported.

The U.S. also recorded 856 deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, raising the death toll to more than 223,000 people lost to the pandemic.

U.S. cases have been rising sharply since the middle of September, when the daily rate was hovering around 40,000 cases.

Public health experts are now watching to see if Thursday's results are an aberration or part of an ominous new pattern. When the U.S. hit a record of more than 77,000 cases in mid-July, it topped the 70,000-mark on several other days as well — and the numbers stayed worryingly high through the end of the month.

The new surge is different from the summer. Many states are now propelling the new cases, rather than a few large states driving the rise, as NPR reported earlier this week.