US coronavirus death toll crosses 900,000

The US death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic surpassed 900,000 on Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. The toll had hit 800,000 dead in mid-December, just a month and a half ago. The tally is the highest number of Covid-19 deaths reported by any nation, followed by Russia, Brazil and India with more than 1.8 million deaths combined. The latest tally marks an increase of more than 100,000 U.S. COVID-19 fatalities since Dec. 12, coinciding with a surge of infections and hospitalizations driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus.

New cases linked to the Omicron variant are falling in US, but daily deaths are still rising, with an average of 2,400 now, according to government figures. "Hospitalizations remain high, stretching our healthcare capacity and workforce to its limits in some areas of the country," said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans continue to die from Covid in large numbers because only 64 percent of the population is fully immunized, despite highly effective vaccines being widely available. The United States has the most Covid deaths in absolute terms, ahead of Brazil and India, according to government figures. The milestone comes more than 13 months into a vaccination drive that has been beset by misinformation and political and legal strife, though the shots have proved safe and highly effective at preventing serious illness and death.