Fauci warns new U.S. COVID-19 cases could double to 100,000 per day

The daily increase in new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 unless a full nationwide effort is undertaken to tamp down the resurgent virus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told a U.S. Senate committee.

California, Texas and Arizona have emerged as new hot spots of the pandemic, each reporting record increases in COVID-19 cases, adding to pressure on scores of potential vaccines being rushed into trials.

More than 126,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions have lost their jobs, as states and major cities ordered residents to stay home and businesses closed. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter and is expected to crater in the second.