US sees over 2,400 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, a six-month high

The United States on Wednesday registered more than 2,400 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally -- the highest daily toll in six months as the Thanksgiving holiday began.

At 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Thursday), the country had recorded a total of 262,080 Covid deaths, up by 2,439 in 24 hours. It also registered nearly 200,000 new cases.

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Travel appeared to be down the night before Thanksgiving when Americans usually criss-cross the country to be with family and friends for a feast on Thursday marking one of their most important national holidays.

In recent days, images on social media of crowded airports fueled concerns Americans were not taking the warnings seriously.

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But one day before Thursday's celebrations, officials and passengers in Los Angeles noted an eerie quiet compared to previous years.

US President-elect Joe Biden cited accelerating plans to deliver a vaccine as he appealed for his "weary" countrymen to dig deep.

"There is real hope, tangible hope. So hang on. Don't let yourself surrender to the fatigue," Biden said in a televised Thanksgiving address.

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"You will get your lives back. Life is going to return to normal. That will happen. This will not last forever."