⁍ The United States reported 79,852 new infections on Saturday, close to the previous day’s record of 84,244 new cases.

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⁍ Hospitalizations are also rising and have hit a two-month high and deaths are trending upwards.

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⁍ Cases in the Midwest set a new record on Saturday and the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in that region hit an all-time high for the ninth day in a row.

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– The number of people in the US diagnosed with influenza-like illness this month has hit an all-time high, with 79,852 cases so far in October, reports Reuters. That’s close to the previous record of 84,244 cases set on Friday. Hospitalizations are also on the rise, hitting a two-month high, and the virus is spreading, especially in the Midwest. Five key states—Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—are all expected to vote for Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, and several other aides have tested positive for the virus, but the White House says Pence will go on the campaign trail Sunday and Monday in North Carolina and Minnesota. The virus has also spread to at least four states, including Texas, where officials have asked residents to stay home for the next two weeks as the number of hospitalized patients in the El Paso area climbs to a record 786, reports the Washington Post. “If we continue on this trend, we risk detrimental effects to our entire healthcare system,” the city’s public health director said in a statement. “For the sake of those hospitalized and the frontline healthcare workers working tirelessly each day to care for them, we ask you to please stay home for two weeks and eliminate your interactions with those outside your household until we can flatten the curve.”