US Coronavirus: US hits second-highest day of new Covid-19 cases

(CNN) As the fall surge continues , the United States has reported its second-highest day of new Covid-19 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Saturday saw 83,718 new cases, just 39 cases shy of the all-time record that was reported Friday.

Health experts have warned that the fall season would bring a resurgence of cases -- and since the US never lowered its daily case baseline enough, they say compounding cases will likely get worse . Already, national cases total over 8.6 million and 225,061 people have died, according to JHU.

"We're at a dangerous tipping point right now," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told Margaret Brennan Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." "We're entering what's going to be the steep slope of the curve, of the epidemic curve."

Social gatherings and family events moving indoors to avoid the colder weather is largely to blame for the high rates of spread, officials said over the weekend.

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In Maryland, the governor said this week family gatherings were the No. 1 source of transmission in the state, followed by house parties. In North Carolina, health officials reported its highest daily case count Friday and said they continue to see clusters "from social and religious gatherings."

At least 35 states report rise in cases

The Florida Department of Health on Sunday reported 2,385 additional coronavirus cases and 12 new resident deaths.

Florida has recorded a total of 778,636 Covid-19 cases statewide and 16,429 Floridian deaths, DOH data shows.

At least 35 states reported more new Covid-19 cases in the last week than the week prior, according to Johns Hopkins data.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday reported an additional 1,994 coronavirus cases -- the highest single-day total since May.

"We're still in the midst of a pandemic and need everyone to take this seriously. Wear a mask. Social distance," Murphy tweeted.

New Jersey had eight new virus-related deaths, bringing the state's total fatality toll to 14,492.

"This virus has not gone away simply because we are tired of it," Murphy said.

Pennsylvania reported 2,043 new cases Saturday.

"Daily increases are now comparable with what we saw in April 2020," the state health department said in a statement. An additional 29 virus-related deaths were reported Saturday.

Michigan, with 3,338 new cases Saturday, marked its highest single-day total during the pandemic, according to state Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin. The state also reported 35 new deaths.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan's Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health, said the data showed "alarming increases" in new infections.

"If rates continue like this, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and having many more Michiganders die," Khaldun said in a statement.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is establishing an alternate care site in El Paso to expand hospital capacity, according to Gov. Greg Abbott's office. The facility will open Monday and provide additional beds, equipment and personnel.

Abbott said extra medical staff will be able to help with surge capacity to "reduce the strain on hospitals."

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Expert: Vaccine may not come this year

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that experts will know by early December whether a potential coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective, but widespread vaccination will probably not be possible until later next year.

"We will know whether a vaccine is safe and effective by the end of November, beginning of December," the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said. "The amount of doses that will be available in December will not certainly be enough to vaccinate everybody -- you'll have to wait several months into 2021."

Gottlieb also pointed out that even if a vaccine becomes available this year and goes to the first group of patients, likely the elderly and healthcare workers, they won't have protective immunity until some point in 2021.

"This vaccine is not going to affect the contours of what we're going to go through, which is going to play out in the next two or three months," he said.

National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Friday that while he's "cautiously optimistic" about the US having a vaccine authorized by the end of the year, he said it "might not happen and it might take longer."