The U.S. coronavirus death toll is on pace to reach nearly 300,000 by December, according to an influential model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. But the institute projects 66,000 lives could be saved if 95% of people in the United States wear face coverings. The U.S. death toll currently stands at 160,000 — by far the highest total in the world. On Thursday, the United States recorded more than 2,000 new coronavirus deaths, the highest daily figure since May. This comes as Arkansas, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina and Puerto Rico all reported new records for COVID-19 deaths over the past week.