The daily number of new coronavirus (COVID-19) infections and deaths has hit new highs in the U.S. On Wednesday, December 16, there were 247,403 new infections and 3,656 deaths with confirmed COVID-19 infection registered within the past 24 hours, a data released on Thursday, December 17 by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore said. The highest values before those 233,133 new cases and 3,306 deaths were recorded on December 11, 2020. In total, around 16.9 million people have been proven to be infected with the COVID-19 in the country with around 330 million inhabitants. Since the beginning of the pandemic, no fewer than 307,500 people have died from the COVID-19 pandemic. In absolute terms, that is more than in any other country in the world. The Johns Hopkins University website...
No masking it: Joe Biden eyes stark contrast with Donald Trump over virus
Joe Biden squared off with Donald Trump on Tuesday over the wearing of masks one day after the White House challenger emerged from coronavirus-imposed lockdown donning one while the president attended two events bare-faced. By wearing a mask at a Memorial Day ceremony in Delaware — and by changing his Twitter profile to a photograph of him donning the black covering — Biden signalled he is putting the coronavirus front and center during the US presidential race in a nation increasingly divided over the pandemic. After the president mocked him for his protective mask, Biden hit back, blasting Trump as an “absolute fool.” It appeared to mark a new front in the war of words between the rival politicians. Trump also attended a somber Monday ceremony honoring America’s fallen, in Baltimore. Ins...