COVID-19 hospitalizations in U.S. near same level as peak of pandemic in April

Washington, July 23 (RHC)-- For a second day in a row, the United States reported more than 1,100 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday.  The New York Times reports nearly 60,000 people are now hospitalized for COVID-19 across the country, nearly eclipsing the number of hospitalizations during the peak of the pandemic in April. 

California set new single-day records on Wednesday for cases and hospitalizations. The U.S. death toll has now topped 143,000, with the total number of confirmed cases approaching four million. The governors of Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio all announced new orders requiring residents to wear masks in public. 

Meanwhile, a number of large businesses, including Costco, Walmart, Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods, are now requiring customers to wear masks. On Wednesday, the Trump administration awarded a $2 billion contract with Pfizer and a German partner to make 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is still being tested.