Four Georgia sheriffs just elected to their counties have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a joint statement sent out Wednesday night, Fulton County Sheriff-elect Pat Labat and Cobb County Sheriff-elect Craig Owens said they tested positive after attending a sheriff’s school in Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Gwinnett Sheriff-elect Keybo Taylor and Henry County Sheriff-elect Reginald Scandrett also said they tested positive for COVID-19.

Others who attended the conference are quarantining in their homes as they await their COVID-19 test results.

“We urge all Georgians to follow the advice of our dedicated health care workers and to wear masks and socially distance," the sheriffs said in a joint statement. "While the vaccine is forthcoming, the pandemic is not over yet, and we must all remain diligent to ensure the safety of our communities."

The COVID Tracking Project reported Wednesday that 3,054 Americans died the previous day from the coronavirus, setting a new daily record.

The seven-day average of new daily deaths (2,276) also set a record, according to the health data.

"The 7-day average for COVID-19 deaths are at an all-time high as deaths are rising throughout the country. The previous single-day record was on May 7 at 2,769 deaths," the tracking project tweeted.

Daily hospitalizations also continued to set records as 106,688 Americans are currently hospitalized, according to the data. The seven-day average of hospitalizations was 102,580, another record.

Over 209,000 new coronavirus cases were reported on Wednesday, according to the tracking project.

"[California] reported a new single-day case record at 30,851. This is the second-highest case count since 12/6," the tracking project tweeted.

COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to grow dramatically following Thanksgiving, according to an internal memo from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was obtained by ABC News.

The country recorded 1,414,153 new cases between Dec. 3 and Dec. 9, according to HHS. This represents a 25.4% increase from the previous seven-day period, the memo said.

There were 15,588 new deaths recorded from Dec. 3 to Dec. 9, which was a 44.9% jump in new fatalities compared with the previous week, according to the memo.

Roughly 31% of U.S. hospitals have more than 80% of their intensive care unit beds filled, HHS reported.

Several states saw new records during the last seven days, according to the memo.

In Alabama, new weekly coronavirus deaths increased by 158% with 312 new fatalities recorded, according to HHS.

On Dec. 7, 19 Georgia hospital ICUs could not accept any more patients, the memo said.

-ABC News' Josh Margolin

The FDA authorized LabCorp’s Pixel COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit Wednesday for use by patients 18 years and older without a prescription.

The test allows a customer to self-collect a nasal swab sample at home and then send that sample for testing to LabCorp. The company will phone the customer with the results.

The at-home test is currently available for purchase online and the company is taking requests from retailers to sell it in stores.

LabCorp told ABC News it will screen requests to limit it to people who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for testing in order to limit backlogs in their labs.

-ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs and Ali Dukakis

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced key nominations and appointments of his health team, a slate of experts and public officials who will lead his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This trusted and accomplished team of leaders will bring the highest level of integrity, scientific rigor and crisis-management experience to one of the toughest challenges America has ever faced -- getting the pandemic under control so that the American people can get back to work, back to their lives and back to their loved ones," Biden said in a statement. "This team of world-class medical experts and public servants will be ready on day one to mobilize every resource of the federal government to expand testing and masking, oversee the safe, equitable and free distribution of treatments and vaccines, reopen schools and businesses safely, lower prescription drug and other health costs and expand affordable health care to all Americans, and rally the country and restore the belief that there is nothing beyond America's capacity if we do it together."

California Attorney General Xavier Beccera is nominated to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Vivek Muthy, a physician and research scientist, is nominated to be the Surgeon General, a role he served during the Obama administration.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, an expert on virus testing, prevention and treatment, is nominated to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, an expert on health care disparities, will serve as the COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair.

As Biden said last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci will stay on in his current role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci will also serve as Biden's chief medical adviser on COVID-19.

Jeff Zients, co-chair of Biden's transition team who led the Obama administration's National Economic Council, will serve as coordinator of the COVID-19 Response as well as counselor to the president.

Natalie Quillian, a national security expert, will serve as deputy coordinator of the COVID-19 response.

ABC News' John Verhovek contributed to this report.