The United States became the first country to surpass 10 million novel coronavirus infections, according to a Reuters tally on Sunday, as a third wave of the virus surges across the nation. The milestone came on the same day as global coronavirus cases exceeded 50 million.
The United States has reported about a million cases in the past 10 days, the highest rate of infections since it reported its first case in Washington state 293 days ago.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who spent much of his election campaign criticising President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic, pledged on Saturday to make tackling the pandemic a top priority. Biden will announce a 12-member task force on Monday charged with developing a blueprint for containing the disease once he takes office in January.