The big picture: This is bad as the pandemic has ever been — the most cases, the most explosive growth and the greatest strain on hospitals. And holiday travel will be risky no matter where you’re coming from or where you’re going. By the numbers: Over the past week, the U.S. averaged more than 154,000 new cases per day, the highest rate of the entire pandemic. The number of new infections rose in 46 states, held steady in three, and declined in only one — Hawaii. Testing was up about 11% over the past week.
