COVID-19 has killed more people in 2021 than 2020, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows.
The disease was reported as the underlying cause of death or a contributing cause of death for an estimated 377,883 people in 2020, accounting for 11.3% of deaths, according to the CDC.
As of late Sunday, 770,461 people total have died as a result of the coronavirus, CDC data says. That means around 14,700 more people have died in 2021 than last year due to COVID-19 - and there's still more than a month left in the year for that number to grow.
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The CDC figures only account for reported deaths, and it's likely that more people died in 2020 due to COVID-19 than the recorded number; 2020 coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S. weren't tracked until February.
New COVID infections are now on the rise in 38 states and health officials have been bracing for the possibility of a surge in cases over the winter.
Experts say the surge is being driven by a combination of factors: the seasonality of the virus, waning immunity and many still unvaccinated Americans.
Despite the rising cases, fully-vaccinated family members can "absolutely" enjoy the holidays together inside without wearing masks, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday.
Also in the news:
?About 4 million federal workers must be vaccinated Monday under President Biden's executive order aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
?89.8% of adult New Yorkers have at least one vaccine dose, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Twitter.
?Connecticut is experiencing a more rapid increase in COVID-19 cases than any other state: The state has averaged 738 daily cases over the last week, which represents a 116% increase over two weeks earlier, the Hartford Courant reported.
??Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 47 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 771,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 257 million cases and 5.1 million deaths. More than 196 million Americans - 59.1% of the population - are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
??What we're reading: How to stay safe this Thanksgiving, even as the COVID pandemic remains a threat.
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The New York Assembly's investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's conduct in office concluded the Democrat's administration misrepresented how many nursing home residents died of COVID-19, according to a lawmaker who reviewed the committee's still-secret report.
The report, compiled by the New York City law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, covers a wide array of allegations of misconduct by Cuomo, including sexual harassment claims and the participation of his staff in writing his book on the coronavirus pandemic.
Other topics include the Cuomo administration's manipulation of data on COVID-19 deaths as presented to the public.
The Associated Press and other news organizations reported on gaps in the state's statistical accounting of fatalities, including the administration's decision to exclude from its nursing home death totals thousands of patients who died after being transferred to hospitals.
The Davis Polk investigators confirmed news reports that the state Department of Health wanted to include those hospital deaths in the state's nursing home fatality count.
"The investigation showed that as they were considering these matters, the book deal was going on, there's a chapter in the book about nursing homes," said Steck, a Democrat who represents part of the Albany area. "They were trying to make it as what they thought was least damaging to the governor instead of just telling the truth."
- Associated Press
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021 US COVID death count surpasses 2020 toll: Live updates