According to figures from Johns Hopkins University,Texas — the most populous US state after California — has now become the first in the US to record more than 1 million known coronavirus cases.
In the border city of El Paso,the health system is so overwhelmed that tents are being set up in hospital parking lots,a convention centre has been converted into a temporary overflow hospital,and mobile morgues have been brought in to store bodies.
The latest figures come as President-elect Joe Biden embarks on his election promise to tackle the pandemic,even as President Donald Trump refuses to accept defeat and continues to challenge the election results in court.
Earlier this week,Biden's first coronavirus steps were put in place whenhe announced the members of his coronavirus advisory board. It is made up entirely of doctors and health experts.
Another breakthrough also occurred withpharmaceutical giant Pfizer announcing that a vaccine it had been developing with German partner BioNTech SE was 90 per cent effective against COVID-19,based on early results from its latest trial.
The vaccine still has a number of challenges — including the fact that it needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius or less.