With the U.S. currently experiencing what some health officials have called "a surge upon a surge" of COVID-19 spread, the country is recording nearly a quarter of a million new cases of the virus and more than 3,000 deaths every day.
According to the COVID Tracking Project, the U.S. has averaged more than 246,000 new COVID-19 cases for the past seven days. That's the highest the country's seven-day rolling average of new cases has ever been.
In addition, deaths linked to the virus are also at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The COVID Tracking Project reports that the U.S. is averaging 3,210 deaths linked to the virus each day for the last week.
For perspective, 2,977 people died in the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Despite the increase in cases and deaths, the U.S. has seen a slight decrease in the number of people hospitalized with the virus. As of Monday, about 130,000 people across the country were battling COVID-19 in a hospital, down slightly from a peak of 132,464 on Jan. 6.
Hospitals around the country remain overwhelmed and overcrowded by the increase in patients.
The spike in cases and deaths comes about two weeks after the TSA reported several consecutive days following Christmas and New Year's, in which it screened more than 1 million travelers around the country — a significant increase amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The increase in travel went against the recommendations of the CDC, which advised Americans not to travel for the winter holidays.
