The United States reported its highest daily Covid-19 death count ever Tuesday -- a grim milestone that comes as state leaders work urgently to combat a slow pace of vaccinations.
More than 3,770 American deaths were reported in one day -- more than two dozen above the country's previous record, set less than a week ago. The country also topped 21 million infections Tuesday and set a hospitalization record, with 131,100 Covid-19 hospitalized patients nationwide, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That record lasted one day, Wednesday's total was 1,281 patients higher.
As numbers climb, governors are now taking new measures to get the distributed vaccines into arms faster, including mobilizing National Guard members and training more volunteers to administer vaccines.
The federal government's Operation Warp Speed said it distributed more than 3 million vaccines Tuesday -- bringing the US total of distributed vaccines to more than 19 million. Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data for first vaccine doses adminstered went up from the previous day by about 500,000 to 5.3 million.