More than 250,000 Americans have now died with coronavirus, making it the highest death toll anywhere in the world. The country has now reported 250,029 deaths and nearly 11.5 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. In El Paso, Texas, prison inmates have been recruited to move bodies for $2 (£1.50) an hour at mobile morgues as the hard-hit state struggles to cope with the surge in deaths.
That milestone has been reached as the overall situation in the US appears bleak.
Infections are soaring as the virus hits all parts of the country with Thanksgiving – traditionally a large family get-together – looming around the corner.
Case numbers have been hitting new daily highs in the past week. The top US infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, told the BBC that the country was “going in the wrong direction at a very precarious time”, with people more likely to gather inside as the weather gets colder.
From Thursday New York City will close its schools – the largest school system in the US. Some states are introducing new restrictions, including Minnesota and Kentucky which on Wednesday ordered all restaurants and bars to temporarily stop indoor eating.
