Medical workers transport a patient from an ambulance to George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C., the United States, May 13, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1,989 new deaths on Tuesday, pushing the 7-day average daily increase to 1,595, the highest since mid-May.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25  -- More than 88,000 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals across the United States as of Tuesday, reaching a new all-time high for the 15th consecutive day, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

The alarming metric came as medical staff around the country were under extreme pressure to prepare beds for and take care of the surging number of hospital patients.

COVID-19 cases and deaths are soaring nationwide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 165,282 daily case count on Tuesday, pushing the 7-day average daily increase to a record-high of 171,157 cases.

It marked the 17th consecutive day that daily case increase in the United States surpassed 100,000.

The CDC reported 1,989 new deaths on Tuesday, pushing the 7-day average daily increase to 1,595, the highest since mid-May.

It took only six days for the country to add over 1 million infections to a record high of 12 million cases last Saturday.