U.S. hospitalizations hit record high amid surge of holiday travel

Washington, December 22 (RHC)-- The United States recorded more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases and nearly 2,000 COVID-19 deaths on Monday.  U.S. hospitalizations hit another world record high, topping 115,000, and 16 states recorded a record number of new deaths. 

The coronavirus is ravaging hospitals in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, where some intensive care units are filled to capacity.  This comes as the Transportation Security Administration says it screened more than one million passengers per day at U.S. airports over the weekend — the largest travel surge since the pandemic began — as Americans shrugged off the desperate pleas of health officials to halt holiday travel to slow the spread of the virus.