The United States reported 55,220 new coronavirus cases Thursday, surpassing Wednesday’s record of 52,789, previously the largest single-day total since the start of the pandemic, according to data collected by The Washington Post.

Anthony S. Fauci, the country’s top infectious-disease expert, attributed rising case numbers in the United States at least partially to the fact lockdown measures were more lenient than those in some European countries that have since managed to turn the tide on the virus.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of total of 128,706 people in the United States, which is almost a quarter of global deaths.