US COVID-19 cases surge past 9 million
A waiter takes an order from customers sitting indoors as another has lunch at an outdoor table at Ginger and Lemongrass restaurant, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in New York.[AP Photo/Mary Altaffer]
The U.S. now has 9 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as infections continue to rise in nearly every state.
It took two weeks to reach the mark from 8 million, the fastest jump of 1 million yet. It had taken more than three weeks for the total to rise from 7 million to 8 million.
Confirmed U.S. cases are on the rise in 47 states. Deaths are up 14% over the past two weeks, averaging more than 800 every day. The virus has now killed more than 229,000 Americans.