The US has updated its recommendations for Americans using masks to protect themselves against the coronavirus, advising them to wear "the most protective mask you can," but stopped short of urging the use of N95 respirators countrywide.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated on its website that "people can use respirators such as N95s and KN95s, including reducing worries linked to N95 supply shortages."

On Friday, the United States recorded the highest daily total in the world, with around 1,800 new fatalities and 780,000 new COVID-19 infections.

Official health statistics from New York and other large cities, on the other hand, indicated that the Omicron wave was beginning to fade.