California reached an alarming milestone Wednesday, surpassing more than 2 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 — the most of any state in the U.S., according to NBC News data.
The virus has devastated the state in recent weeks, claiming scores of lives — sometimes hundreds per day — and overwhelming hospital systems. In total, more than 23,000 people have died from the virus there.
Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the U.S., has been hit particularly hard. The county has seen more than 660,000 confirmed cases of the virus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The crisis in California comes as public health experts fear that Christmas travel and New Year's Eve celebrations could cause another surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Top public health officials have warned that the winter months will be especially dire and dangerous. Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has said he believes "they're going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation."