BAD TO WORSE

United States Hits 9 Million Coronavirus Cases, Still Highest in the World, as Trump Hopes for Herd Immunity

As cases continue to spike, health experts say the U.S. is unlikely to cede its place as the world leader in COVID-19 infections.

The United States topped 9 million confirmed cases of the new coronavirus Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. continues to have the highest number of infections and deaths from the virus in the world, with roughly 230,000 fatalities. Health officials say that is unlikely to change as President Donald Trump abstains from implementing any nationwide guidelines and hopes tacitly for herd immunity. COVID-19 is still spiking across the country, and daily new cases reached the same record heights in recent weeks as they did during the summer. Health officials in Wisconsin and Western Texas have authorized the setup of hospital field units and mobile morgues to supplement straining capacity, and doctors in Utah are preparing to ration care as health-care facilities across the state fill up.