⁍ A record 84,000 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 across the United States on Friday.

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⁍ The spike to 84,218 cases, breaking the record of 77,299 set on July 16.

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⁍ University of Washington researchers forecast that the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 could reach a total of 500,000 by February.

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– Pandemic watchers will be keeping an eye on five key states in the Nov. 3 presidential election: Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Those are the five states that saw record numbers of new coronavirus cases on Friday, per a Reuters tally, with 84,218 cases across the US, breaking the record of 77,299 set on July 16. Health Secretary Alex Azar attributed the increase in cases nationwide to the behavior of individuals, saying household gatherings have become a ‘major vector of disease spread.’ Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a curfew on nonessential businesses from 10pm Friday. She warned residents to avoid social gatherings of more than six people and end all gatherings by 10pm. “The good news on the horizon is that vaccines look promising,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN in an interview. “And hopefully by the time we get to the end of November, the beginning of December we will have shown that we have at least one or two—and maybe more but at least two— vaccines that are safe and effective.’ Health experts have not pinpointed the reason for the rise but have cited such factors as colder temperatures driving people inside, fatigue with COVID-19 precautions, and students returning to schools and colleges. The latest estimate by the widely cited University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation also reflects fears that cold winter weather will drive Americans indoors, where the virus is more likely to spread. “We are heading into a very substantial fall/winter surge,” says IHME director Chris Murray.