A woman takes a test for the coronavirus in Staten Island, New York. File photo/Reuters

Gulf Today Report

Restaurants, bars and gyms will have to close at 10pm across New York state in the latest effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the United States has reported a total of about 10.4 million cases and 241,809 deaths throughout the pandemic.

On Wednesday a record 65,368 people were in the hospital with Covid-19 across the country, marking the second day in a row and second time ever that the tally passed the 60,000 mark, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

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Around the country officials were scrambling to staunch the spread.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was the latest state official to impose a new round of social distancing restrictions on Wednesday, in an attempt to protect a state that was the epicenter of the US outbreak in its early stages.

US medical staff prepare some necessary measures for an emergency situation in a hospital. File photo

A new round of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus as the infection rate climbed and hospitalisations soared in the state that was the epicenter of the US outbreak in its early stages.

Texas reported 10,865 new cases on Tuesday, breaking a record set in mid-July. One of the hardest-hit places is the border city of El Paso; its county has nearly 28,000 active cases and has suffered more than 680 COVID-19 deaths.

The American Medical Association renewed its plea for mask-wearing, physical distancing and frequent hand-washing.

"With the holidays quickly approaching, each of us must do everything possible to reduce the spread of COVID-19," AMA President Susan Bailey said. "Failing to do our part will prolong the suffering and disruption to our lives and inevitably lead to more deaths of our friends, neighbours and loved ones.”

In Maryland, where the positivity rate stood at 5.6% on Wednesday, officials warned about rising COVID-19 hospitalisations.

More than 800 people were being treated for COVID-19 at state hospitals as of Wednesday, according to Mike Ricci, the communications director of Governor Larry Hogan. That is Maryland’s highest daily count since April.

A record number of people died of COVID-19 in several Midwest and western states on Tuesday, including in Alaska, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.