PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- The coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in every U.S. state. For the first time, the commonwealth hit 6,000 daily cases on Wednesday, and the U.S. death toll reached a grim milestone.
There have now been more than 250,000 COVID-19-related deaths in the country, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
That accounts for about 18.5% of deaths around the world and is about 83,000 more than the country with the next most deaths, Brazil.
Pennsylvania just hit its record high of 6,339 new confirmed cases in a single day. According to the COVID Tracking Project, that is a 16% increase in the last week. It's a drastic increase from a month ago when there were around 1,200 new cases on Oct. 18.
There are currently 2,904 people hospitalized in Pennsylvania due to Covid-19. Compared to 841 a month prior on Oct. 18.
Philadelphia on Monday announced drastic changes to coronavirus restrictions in the city, including a ban on all indoor gatherings and indoor dining, as cases continue to rise.
The restrictions fall short of an economic shutdown, but they are intended to strongly discourage people from interacting in person.
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Health officials are very concerned about community spread -- when people who don’t have any symptoms of the virus unknowingly pass it along to others. A major concern: friends and family who do not live in the same household but who gather during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Health officials continue to emphasize mask wearing, distancing, avoiding crowds and hand washing and sanitizing.
On Tuesday, Pa. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced what she called "targeted efforts" to control the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. They include an interstate travel restriction, requiring anyone who visits Pennsylvania from another state to have proof of a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours prior to entering. If not, they must quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, or until they get a test with negative results.