The omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has pushed U.S. new cases to a record high of about 800,000 a day, but in a sign welcomed by experts, cases appear to be peaking in northeastern states that were among the first to be hit hard. New York City, Cleveland, Chicago and Washington, D.C. are showing case numbers level off and start to fall, according to a New York Times tracker. Hospitalizations are averaging 156,505 a day, up 54% from two weeks ago, and daily deaths are above 1,900, up 54% from two weeks ago.
On a global basis, the total tally for COVID-19 cases hiked up above 330.9 million and the death toll rose above 5.54 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. leads the world with a total COVID-19 case count of 66.4 million and death toll of 851,730.
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