Dr. Fauci appealed to Americans to reduce holiday gatherings

(Patria) - The daily average of coronavirus deaths in the US has exceeded 2,000 for the first time since May, while hospitals in the country are already overcrowded.  

On Tuesday, the number of reported deaths was 2,157, while the number of infected people increased by another 170,000.

Experts expect the numbers to continue to rise due to Americans ignoring epidemiological warnings and planning to travel for Thanksgiving.

Given the record number of hospitalizations, which reached 87,000 on Tuesday, leading American infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci appealed to citizens to minimize indoor gatherings during the holidays, in addition to wearing protective masks and observing other measures.

The usual return of students home for the holidays will largely be absent due to the risk of spreading the infection.

The issue of children's education is also being considered - while some parents consider online schooling inadequate, others do not want to send their children to school during the pandemic.

Many see the only solution in a vaccine that could become available in the US as early as December 10, when the first 6.4 million doses will be distributed.

If everything goes according to plan, another 40 million doses will be distributed by the end of the year, Reuters reports.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide on the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine by December 10.

Newly elected President Joe Biden has repeatedly promised to make the fight against the pandemic a top priority after taking office on January 20.