NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States shattered a single-day record with over 1 million COVID-19 cases on Monday amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
As of 0500 GMT Tuesday, the country registered about 1.07 million confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, remaining the world's worst hit by the pandemic.
The number of new COVID-19 cases has doubled in the last seven days to an average of 418,000 a day, local media reported.
The surge comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to shorten the recommended time that people should isolate following a positive test result from 10 days to five days if they do not show symptoms.
However, the rapid spread of the virus has not only placed more pressure on the country's health care system, but is also battering the economy once again, causing a labor shortage, thousands of flight cancellations, and some businesses to once again close their doors.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
