The daily U.S. death toll from COVID-19 continues to climb, with over 1,000 deaths reported nationwide Thursday for the fourth day in a row. Florida recorded a new record death toll for the third straight day, with 253 new fatalities. Even as the outbreak flared to a new record high, officials in Miami-Dade County suspended all drive-thru and walk-in COVID-19 testing until next Tuesday, as Tropical Storm Isaias strengthened into a hurricane over the Caribbean and barreled toward southern Florida.
COVID-19 is now on track to become the third leading cause of death in the U.S. this year, after heart disease and cancer. In Chicago, 28-year-old COVID-19 survivor Mayra Ramirez spoke to reporters Thursday after recovering from a double-lung transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Mayra Ramirez: “I think that I definitely have a purpose, and if that purpose is just simply telling my story to raise awareness for people to stay safe and take this condition seriously.”