The U.S. is now averaging 2,613 new coronavirus-related deaths per day -- more than triple the seven-day average from two months ago, according to ABC News’ analysis of data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project.

So far this month, 49,752 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

In the last seven days, there have been approximately 18,000 deaths recorded -- equaling approximately 108 American deaths reported every hour.

In the week ending Dec. 19, 16 states hit a record number of new deaths: Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.

The TSA said it screened 1,064,629 people at airport checkpoints nationwide Sunday -- the third consecutive day that checkpoint volume surpassed 1 million.

ABC News’ Gio Benitez contributed to this report.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in quarantine, again, after a staffer who came in close contact with him tested positive for COVID-19.

Newsom was tested for the virus after the news and the results came back negative, according to a statement from his press office.

The individual who tested positive, and who has not been named, was also in contact with various other staff members. They too were tested and their results came back negative.

"In an abundance of caution, the Governor will begin a ten day quarantine per state guidelines. The Governor and staff will be tested again in the next few days and continue to follow state and CDC guidelines," the press office said in a written statement. "We wish our staff member who tested positive well."

The office said its staffers have been following guidance from the California State law and the California Department of Public Health. Among other things, staffers have been wearing masks.

"Early on in the pandemic, the Governor's Office put in place a number of protocols that minimized the amount of staff physically present at work, converted most in person meetings to video conference calls, instituted a no questions asked remote work policy and reduced seating capacity in meeting rooms for in-person meetings that can't be done remotely. Those policies are still in effect and will be for the duration of the pandemic," they said.

Newsom also went into quarantine one month ago, when he and his family learned they had come into contact with a California Highway Patrol officer who had tested positive for COVID-19. The officer provides security for the Newsom family.

South Africa is seeing COVID-19 cases rise as the new strain of the virus spreads though the country.

According to health officials, the new variant, known as 501.V2, is responsible for new cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

"It is still very early but at this stage, the preliminary data suggests the virus that is now dominating in the second wave is spreading faster than the first wave," Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairman of the government's Ministerial Advisory Committee, said in a briefing to journalists, according to the Associated Press.

South Africa has had 921,922 confirmed cases and 24,691 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data. In the past day, it has seen 9,445 new cases and 152 new deaths.

Experts are saying the new strain of COVID-19 may be more infectious than the original virus.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams appeared on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday and discussed the skepticism from many African Americans about the COVID-19 vaccine and how the community can be convinced it's safe and effective.

Adams said acknowledging the history of medical racism and what's still happening in the U.S. today is key.

"I've talked about Tuskegee. I've talked about Henrietta Lacks. But there are real issues going on today, right now in this country, when you look at 700 women dying of pregnancy-related complications, most of them black and brown in the United States. When you look at not just hypertension and cancer disparities," Adams said.

The surgeon general said health equity is critical.

"We need to engage with trusted influencers. We need to make sure our pastors, and imams and rabbis, all of whom I'm working with, have the facts so that they can spread it to -- to their congregants," he said. "I want people to know that as a scientist, as a doctor, I've looked at the data. I know the protections that are in place. I know an African-American female helped develop this vaccine and Tony Fauci and I made sure that the trials were enrolled with diverse participants."