WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Daily coronavirus cases in the United States crossed the 50000-plus mark for the third consecutive day.
With 52032 additional cases reporting on Wednesday, the national total has increased to 34,226,889, as per the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
The seven day average of daily infections in the United States touched the highest level - 41310 - since May 8.
With 333 additional deaths reported on the same day, COVID death toll in the U.S. rose to 609,862.
Florida reported the most cases - 8988 - and most COVID-related deaths - 58.
With 8,640 new infections on Wednesday, California continues to be the worst affected state having recorded a total of 3,874,959 cases. Another 64,157 people have died due to the disease there.
A total of 29,458,403 people have so far recovered from the disease in the country.
339,102,867 vaccine doses have been administered so far nationally. 186,819,440 people have received at least one dose.
161.9 million people, or 48.8 percent of the U.S. population, are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
79.5 percent of people above 65 have received both vaccine doses.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that her office will be providing updates on any White House official who tests positive for COVID-19 that the White House medical unit deems as having had close contact with the President, Vice President, First Lady, or Second Gentleman.
She also made it clear that at no point has the President been required to change his behavior or self-quarantine due to a close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID.
Psaki made the clarification in the wake of a fully vaccinated White House official testing positive for coronavirus.
'An email from our COVID-19 operations protocol team has been sent to White House staff informing them of the official policy that if you are in close contact with a principal and test positive for COVID-19, your case will be disclosed to press, along with any other relevant details, and that we will share the name of the staffer if that individual agrees to do so,' she told reporters aboard Air Force One En Route Cincinnati.
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