WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After a short interval, COVID-19 deaths in the United States returned to the 1000-plus level. With 1,210 additional deaths reporting in the last 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 casualties in the country rose to 179735.
This is nearly three times more than what was recorded in the previous week. With 43,556 more people getting infected by the virus in the last 24 hours, the total cases in the U.S. reached 5822927. This is nearly one sixth of the global total.
More than 24 million cases and more than 825,700 deaths were recorded worldwide so far, as per Johns Hopkins University's latest data.
Argentina on Tuesday registered more than 10,000 new daily coronavirus cases, for the first time since the pandemic began.
In Switzerland also infections reached their highest number since April.
Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defended a controversial change it introduced in the guidance on testing COVID-suspected patients.As per CDC'S current guidelines, anyone who came six feet close to an infected person for at least 15 minutes have been advised to go for a diagnostic test.
According to the new guidelines, those who do not show symptoms of the disease 'do not necessarily need a test'. It also gave local public health officials and health providers the discretion to decide if people without symptoms should get tested.
It was the follow-up action based on a White House order to stop recommending coronavirus tests for people exposed to coronavirus patients. CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield has defended that decision.
'These updated guidelines, coordinated in conjunction with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, received appropriate attention, consultation and input from task force experts,' Redfield said to CNN.
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