Fauci clashes with Rand Paul at Senate hearing as daily Covid cases soar

The daily infection rate hit a new record of 1.35m while 145,982 people were in hospital with coronavirus on Monday

• Covid loses 90% of ability to infect within minutes - study

The US recorded a record number of hospitalisations due to Covid-19, the Biden administration said, as daily infections soared to more than 1.35m. Nonetheless, politics dominated a Senate hearing on the pandemic on Tuesday, as Republicans attempted to use the disease for political gain.

Rand Paul of Kentucky clashed once again with Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden's chief medical adviser.