Peter Wells in New York

The similarities between the latest stage of the coronavirus pandemic in the US and its surge over the summer are mounting up, with the country now averaging more than 60,000 cases a day for the first time since early August, and the highest level of hospitalisations in two months.

States reported 76,560 cases, according to Covid Tracking Project data, up from 57,294 on Wednesday and compared with 63,172 on Thursday last week.

The latest rise in infections ranks as the biggest since a record 76,588 cases were reported on July 17, however this ranking comes with a major caveat. Wednesday data from Alabama, Florida and Georgia “were not available” before Covid Tracking Project’s cut-off time for reporting that day, and therefore were not included in yesterday’s report.

These older cases were included in today’s figures, thereby boosting the most recent tally.

Rankings aside, the trend in the US remains clear. Over the past week, the country has now averaged 60,951 cases a day, the most since August 1.

Among those that reported the biggest one-day increases were Texas (6,291 including new and historical cases), Illinois (4,942), Wisconsin (3,632, including confirmed and probable cases). Indiana (2,850), Ohio (2,425), Utah (1,543), Montana (928) and New Mexico (819) had record increases, according to Financial Times analysis of Covid Tracking Project data.

There are 41,010 people currently in US hospitals with coronavirus, the highest level since August 20, when 41,988 hospitalisations were reported. Eight states reported record levels of hospitalisations on Thursday.

Deaths are also experiencing an upward trend. A further 1,173 fatalities were attributed to coronavirus, up from 994 on Wednesday and compared with 951 on Thursday last week.

This would rank as the biggest increase in deaths since 1,200 on September 16 but, again, the absence of Wednesday data from Alabama, Florida and Georgia in Covid Tracking Project’s snapshot means Thursday’s figure is probably boosted by these delayed numbers.

Over the past week, the US has averaged about 755 deaths a day, the highest level in a month.