Persona Digest

The upward trajectory of coronavirus cases in the U.S. continued Wednesday with the country setting a new mark with more than 136,000 new infections, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

That development came a day after the U.S. reached 1 million cases in November alone and COVID-19 hospitalizations surpassed 60,000 for the first time. Hospitalizations have more than doubled in less than two months, the COVID Tracking Project reported Wednesday.

The number of Americans hospitalized due to COVID-19 has risen almost 50% in the last two weeks. On Wednesday, the U.S. surpassed 240,000 deaths caused by the coronavirus, the largest number in the world. The U.S. has 4.3% of the global population but 18.8% of the reported coronavirus deaths.

Almost 62,000 Americans were hospitalized because of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The previous record for hospitalizations was 59,780 on April 12, after which the number began a gradual decline that reached 28,608 on Sept. 20. Since then, however, the number has been rising steadily.

"Hospitals are facing severe constraints in the weeks ahead," said North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, whose state is among the hardest hit. "We need everyone to help slow the spread."

Today's latest updates:

Texas, the nation’s second-most populous state, is the first to surpass 1 million coronavirus cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance on face masks: They not only protect others, but they protected the wearer, too.
The World Health Organization is allowing an independent panel to review its management of the pandemic response.
In ICE detention centers, the coronavirus case rate is more than 13 times the rate of the U.S. population and more than double the rate in prisons, according to the report published in JAMA Open Network.
Philadelphia's public school system reversed its plan to resume some in-person instruction this month. In Maryland, indoor dining at restaurants and bars will be limited to 50