With close to 80,000 deaths recorded due to COVID-19, January is now the deadliest month for COVID since the pandemic began.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, as of Wednesday, 79,261 people have died in the United States this month, topping the previous record set in December with 77,486 deaths, CNN reported.
The virus has killed more than 425,216 people in the U.S.
At least 146,640 new cases were reported on Wednesday, and 4,087 people died, according to JHU data.
Wednesday's death toll passes the previously set record on the same day as the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, with 3,900 people dying of the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported.
The record-high one-day death toll on record is 4,462, which was set on Jan. 12, according to JHU data.
The news comes as the Biden administration announced on Tuesday that the U.S. is purchasing an additional 100 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines and have them delivered this summer.
In a White House statement, President Joe Biden said he hopes that 300 million people would be fully vaccinated by the end of the summer.
According to the CDC, 44.3 million doses have been distributed, and 23.5 million people have been vaccinated.
