The United States reported a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations Tuesday, and health experts warn the situation could quickly worsen with the holidays looming, even as vaccines make their way through the country.
The U.S. had at least 117,777 hospitalizations Tuesday, according to government data, with the country remaining above 100,000 current hospitalizations for 21 current days, CNN reported.
The U.S. has averaged more than 114,000 hospitalizations over the past seven days, CNN reported.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, warned that such numbers could get even larger in January if citizens fail to heed the case surges and travel for the holidays.
The Transportation Security Administration reported record-high traffic during the pandemic, between Friday and Monday, screening more than four million air travelers, CNN reported.
As of Wednesday, the United States has roughly 18.3 million coronavirus cases and 325,000 related deaths — both tops globally — according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.