The United States experienced the worst day of the pandemic so far on Wednesday, recording 200,000 new coronavirus infections as hospitalizations topped 100,000 for the first time; 3,157 people died of COVID-19 on Wednesday — the highest daily death toll of any nation since the pandemic began. That’s more people than died in the attacks on September 11, 2001, and more than have died of COVID-19 across Japan in the past year. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, said the U.S. death toll could rise to nearly 450,000 by the start of February.

Dr. Robert Redfield: “The reality is, December and January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”

Dr. Redfield said the most vulnerable U.S. residents — as many as 100 million of them — could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by March 1.