https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/04/covid-california-blows-through-record-for-new-daily-cases-as-omicron-surges/ > The Golden State is catching up to COVID hotspots in other parts of the country that had already toppled last winter’s peak for new infections. The 7-day average of new daily cases in the U.S. as a whole surpassed 400,000 this week for the first time. The previous record was 251,000 just under a year ago. > The unprecedented surge in cases has also fueled a sharp rise in hospitalizations.