US Covid-19 hospitalisations jump 50% in 2 weeks, ushering in new shutdowns

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States has jumped nearly 50% in the last 14 days, straining the nation's healthcare system and forcing cities and states to impose new restrictions to curb the alarming viral spread.

Nearly 79,000 people were being in treated for the disease in hospitals across the country on Thursday, a Reuters tally showed, the most at any time during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Americans were grappling with a spate of new school and business closings aimed at slowing community spread and lowering infection rates.Suzanna Riordan, a Brooklyn mother, said she burst into tears upon hearing