Coronavirus in the U.S.: Where cases are growing and declining

As global COVID-19 deaths crested 2 million on Friday, new COVID-19 cases rose slightly in the United States this week, but officials warned that the number of deaths could rise to new highs in January, the result of holiday visiting. In the week that ended on January 14, just over 1.6 million people tested positive for the virus as numbers continue their relentless upward march. Hospitalizations eased slightly as of this date to about 129,000 cases, but hospital capacity across the nation remains at crisis levels, as ICU beds run short in many states, particularly Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

Some states are already reporting the first signs of a rise in holiday-related cases. The outbreak in Los Angeles County is particularly severe, with confirmed cases doubling to a million in just a month. Adding to the crisis, the likely more contagious variant of the virus has now been identified in multiple states, with the largest clusters in Florida and California. Vaccine availability still offers some hope. More than nine million patients have received their first dose, and over 30 million doses have been distributed to states.