As days grow short and cold weather sets in across the northern United States, the country is logging more coronavirus infections than ever before. Tuesday marked the first time that the rolling seven-day average of new daily case counts — a metric considered more reliable than single-day figures — topped 70,000. Record numbers of infections have been reported in 29 states over the past week, in every region of the country.

More than 8.7 million cases have been reported nationwide since February, and at least 226,000 people have died of covid-19, according to data tracked by The Washington Post.

Here are some significant developments:
·A senior Trump administration official tested positive for the coronavirus after a recent trip to Britain, Hungary and France — raising concerns that the virus could spread to high-level officials across the Atlantic.
·As long as health precautions are followed, flying on a plane can be safer than eating at a restaurant, a new Harvard study finds.
·President Trump said Tuesday that he would approve “the best stimulus package you’ve ever seen” after the election, but prospects of a deal appear to be withering after months of talks.
·Though North Dakota has more coronavirus infections per capita than any other state, many residents continue to refuse to wear masks.
·Watch: In a three-part documentary, The Washington Post explores a failed response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s left 226,000 ·Americans dead, despite decades of preparation in Washington.