The death toll from Covid-19 in the United States approached 250,000 on Wednesday, the day after the country recorded the highest number of victims in nearly four months, a chilling sign for a healthcare system already struggling to cope, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, the pandemic claimed 1,596 lives in the United States, more than on any single day since July 27, contributing to a total of 248,898 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began, according to a Reuters tally.

For weeks, health officials and healthcare workers have warned that hospitals in all regions could soon become overwhelmed, with widespread community transmission of the virus evident in many places.

“I'm the most concerned I've been since this pandemic started,” Dr Tom Inglesby, director of Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security, told CNN on Wednesday.

Nationwide, the number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 topped 75,000 on Tuesday, setting a new record.