By CNN Staff | December 27, 2020 at 4:13 AM EST – Updated December 27 at 6:12 PM
(CNN) – The United States reached a grim milestone on Saturday: 1 in 1,000 Americans has died from COVID-19 since the country’s first reported infection in late January.
The statistic is based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Johns Hopkins University. On Saturday, the national death toll from COVID-19 reached 331,909, while the U.S. population is estimated to be around 330,750,000.
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The first reported case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was in January 2020, and the first death was the following month.
With an average rate of more than 1,000 deaths per day, the U.S. toll reached 100,000 deaths in May and 200,000 in September, per Johns Hopkins data.
Though death rates and infections nationwide slowed during the summer, they have experienced an acceleration since November. It took just 11 weeks for the country to reach 300,000 deaths from the virus, which was announced Dec. 14.
Hospitals and governments are bracing for yet another surge in the new year, following the holidays.
Health officials urge continued vigilance with coronavirus protocols, including quarantining, social distancing and wearing masks.
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