US sets a grim record with over 3,700 Covid deaths; vaccine campaign grows

The United States set a grim double record Wednesday notching more than 3,700 deaths and over 250,000 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours.

The tally marks the third time in the past week that the United States has crossed the 3,000 deaths threshold. The country has seen a spectacular spike in Covid infections for more than a month now.

The previous 24-hour record was set in late April at the height of the country's first wave -- which never totally ended.

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Over the last two weeks, the number of new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours has climbed above 200,000 for 11 out of 14 days. Wednesday's exact death toll was 3,784 fatalities over the previous 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm (0130 GMT Thursday).

Experts now fear the situation will become even more dire following end of year celebrations, including the Christmas holiday.

The latest records were set even as the United States undergoes its first week of a mass vaccination program aimed at stopping the surging pandemic.

On Monday the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine injections were administered in the United States.

Also, the US Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that six or even seven doses could be squeezed out of vials that were supposed to contain only five doses to avoid unused vaccine being discarded.

To this end, lawmakers on Capitol Hill said they were nearing a long-elusive bipartisan deal on $900 billion in economic relief to help bolster a US economy ravaged by the pandemic.

Rollout of the first tranche of 2.9 million doses of a newly authorized vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE continued for a third full day, with shipments headed to 66 more distribution hubs nationwide.

A second vaccine from Moderna Inc could win emergency-use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week.

Express delivery companies FedEx and United Parcel Service, sharing a leading role in vaccine shipments, said they were monitoring the potential impacts of heavy snow and ice that had begun to disrupt transportation systems along the Eastern Seaboard on Wednesday.

President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he would get the vaccine publicly to help instill confidence in its safety, is expected to receive his first injection as soon as next week, according to his transition team.

Biden, 78, is in a high-risk category for the coronavirus due to his age.

Meanwhile, with hospitalisations setting a record for the 18th day in a row -- more than 112,000 patients under treatment on Tuesday -- health experts warn the death toll will rise higher still in the weeks ahead, even as the vaccine campaign steadily expands.

Another 2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine could be allocated next week, US Health Secretary Alex Azar said on a conference call on Wednesday. Two doses of the vaccines, given three or four weeks apart, would be required for each person being inoculated.

The Trump administration was also in talks to secure additional antibody treatment doses from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Eli Lilly and Co, Operation Warp Speed chief adviser Moncef Slaoui told the same conference call.

(with inputs from agencies)