US surpasses 12 million coronavirus cases

America registers record breaking 195,000 positive Covid-19 tests from Friday to Saturday

The US recorded more than 12 million cases of Covid-19, as the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged Americans to stay at home for Thanksgiving.

The country saw a record 195,000 coronavirus cases from Friday to Saturday, which brought the overall US total to more than 12 million, according to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University.

The US coronavirus death toll has now reached at least 255,905, as 40 states have recorded a rise in Covid-19 cases over the last 14 days.

A dozen of other states, including Texas and Minnseota, have seen a more dramatic recent spike in cases, as the number of hospitalisations due to Covid-19 has increased.

In response to the rise in coronavirus cases across the US, the CDC are asking people to stay at home for Thanksgiving on 26 November.

“We are really asking people to be flexible in their plans for Thanksgiving. In the last week we've seen over a million new cases. Thanksgiving is a week away,” said Erin Sauber-Schatz, head of the CDC's community interventions and critical populations task force.

The CDC’s coronavirus incident manager, Dr Henry Walke, told NBC that although the agency is recommending that people do not travel for Thanksgiving, it is not mandating it.

Dr Walke said: “We're seeing exponential growth in cases. The opportunity to translocate disease or infection from one part of the country to another leads to our recommendation to avoid travel at this time.”

Governors across the US have issued new coronavirus measures, including face mask mandates and social distancing orders, in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

The governors of Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Montana all issued new face mask mandates last week, alongside other coronavirus measures.

Wisconsin governor Tony Evers wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post on Wednesday, alongside the governors of Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, which said Americans need to work together to tackle Covid-19.

“Right now, cases and hospitalisations are skyrocketing in the Midwest and across the country. As the weather gets colder and more people head inside, it will get worse,” the governors wrote.

“It is more important than ever that we double down on mask-wearing and physical distancing to help more people get through the winter and protect those on the front lines of this crisis — our doctors, nurses, grocery store workers and truck drivers."

The governors, including Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer and Ohio’s Mike DeWine, also echoed the CDC and urged Americans to stay at home for Thanksgiving.

“If you are planning to spend Thanksgiving with people outside your household, we urge you to reconsider,” they said.

“As hard as it will be to not see them this Thanksgiving, imagine how much harder it would be if their chairs are empty next year.”