US COVID-19 tally surpasses 11 million mark

The United States (US)’s COVID-19 tally surpasses 11 million mark on Monday as new were introduced to try and curb the spread of global pandemic.

The US recorded over one million new infections this past week alone, including 156,416 on Saturday, which marked the eleventh day in a row that the country recorded over 100,000 daily cases.

High schools and colleges are to halt on-site teaching and restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining in Michigan from Wednesday.

Indoor restaurant dining is also banned in Washington State, and gyms, cinemas, theatres and museums will close.

On average, over 1,000 people a day are dying with the virus, and the overall death toll is close to 250,000.

The Trump administration struck an optimistic note on Friday, saying it hoped to distribute 20 million doses of an approved vaccine in December.

Both Michigan and Washington State have seen Covid cases double in recent weeks.

Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer, quoted by BBC, said the state was "at the precipice" and could soon suffer 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths a week unless action is taken.

"Today, Sunday, November 15, 2020, is the most dangerous public health day in the last 100 years of our state's history," media outlet quoted Governor Jay Inslee.

Earlier on Friday, California became the second state, after Texas, to hit one million COVID cases, prompting local officials to hit pause on reopening efforts.