The White House estimates the country will see 100 million COVID-19 infections by fall and winter.

The estimate is based on several models, a Biden administration official told CNN.

The estimate was first reported by the Washington Post.

Officials say the 100 million case estimate could be avoided if precautions are taken and if the government receives more funding for resources, including updated vaccines and more testing.

Pfizer and Moderna are working to update their vaccines by the fall. But the country may not have enough money to buy enough vaccines for everyone.

That’s why the administration is asking Congress for more than $22 billion in aid.

Officials warn that if they don’t receive enough emergency aid funding, certain supplies, including antiviral drug Paxlovid, could run out as early as October.

As of Monday, Johns Hopkins University data shows that more than 997,570 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S.

Officials told CNN the White House will commemorate the moment the country reaches the grim milestone.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. set another daily record for new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with nearly 490,000.

The CDC's COVID Data Tracker reports that the U.S. recorded 486,428 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, besting the previous daily record set on Monday.

The CDC says the U.S. has recorded at least 400,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day since Monday.

For the last seven days, the U.S. has averaged more than 316,000 new cases a day, the highest recorded level since the start of the pandemic.

The actual number of people who contracted COVID-19 in the U.S. is likely higher because not everyone who contracts the virus will seek out a test or report an at-home positive test.

The surge in cases comes as the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly throughout the country. Earlier this week, health officials said that while the newly-discovered strain is highly infectious, all signs point to it causing less severe disease than past strains.

The increase in new cases has not yet led to a rise in deaths, which slightly decreased in the past week. The CDC adds that there was only a slight increase in new hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the past week.

Surges in hospitalizations and deaths typically lag behind surges in new cases. While White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci expects both to rise in the weeks ahead, the nature of omicron may cause a less severe spike.

"That pattern in the disparity between cases and hospitalizations strongly suggests that there will be a lower hospitalization-to-case ratio when the situation becomes more clear," Fauci said Wednesday.

Fauci also warned that Americans must stay vigilant, as the highly transmissible nature of omicron could cause health care systems in some areas to be overwhelmed, particularly in areas where vaccination rates are low.

CINCINNATI — From canceled flights to canceled gatherings, COVID-19 is throwing a wrench in some Christmas plans.

Ohio reported 14,414 new COVID cases and 443 deaths in the last 24 hours. Still, the latest surge is not stopping families from enjoying the holidays — even if that means the celebrations are not fully back to pre-pandemic days.

Dartanyn Dixon and his family enjoyed their Christmas Eve on ice at Fountain Square.

"This year is different because everything is wide open now," Dixon said. "We got this beautiful thing going on downtown."

Downtown Cincinnati showed a different picture from last year as more families enjoyed the day outside their homes.

"[Last year] was more of a stay-at-home Christmas than it usually is in my family. We celebrated in a big way, but it was mostly just us as a family," UC student Keya Nandi said. "It still is that prevalent, but I'm just looking forward to going out more hopefully and celebrating it in a better way compared to last year."

Nandi is right that the virus is still prevalent, with Ohio shattering its daily COVID case record Thursday. Health leaders urged the public to be careful ahead of the holiday, encouraging booster shots.

"With these numbers, we have a troubling picture — one that should be a wake-up call for every Ohioan as we think about our risk of getting sick with COVID-19, especially as we think about gatherings with loved ones for the holidays," said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the state's health director.

Many in town Friday said they still plan to be careful while enjoying the holidays with loved ones — especially with near-record warmth.

"It's going to be nice weather, so we're able to kind of get outside," Eileen Schwab said. "Especially after last year, I think everybody is looking forward to seeing each other and being with family and people you love and being at peace."

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