Some hospitals in crisis as US nears high for Covid-19 cases

A person walks near a sign listing coronavirus precautions at the King County election headquarters in Renton, Washington (Ted S Warren/AP)

The United States is approaching a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases in the latest ominous sign about the disease’s grip on the nation.

The impact is being felt in every section of the country, with a Florida health official pleading for a halt to children’s birthday parties while a desperate situation at a hospital in northern Idaho, which is running out of space for patients, continues to escalate.