November 30, 2020 at 5:32 AM EST
In nine states, at least 1 in 1,000 people have died of coronavirus-linked causes
By Marisa Iati and Hannah Knowles
As daily covid-19 deaths climb to levels not seen since early in the pandemic, nine states have hit one more grim marker: more than 1 in every 1,000 people dead of coronavirus-related causes.
The list reflects the far-reaching toll of the crisis, spanning early hot spots, Southern states hit hard in the summer and rural parts of the country with increasingly strained hospitals. And it is growing.
On Friday, South Dakota became the latest state to see at least one covid-19 death for every 1,000 residents, joining New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Mississippi and North Dakota. The country also surpassed 13 million known coronavirus cases during a holiday season upended by the pandemic. Even with travel significantly down from last year, millions went through airport checkpoints in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, and governors on Friday urged people not to let down their guard amid Black Friday shopping.
