Public health officials are predicting a sharp rise in the death toll from COVID-19 in the coming weeks.

The U.S. surpassed two more bleak benchmarks recently with over 4.5 million coronavirus cases and nearly 153,000 lives lost.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they expect the death toll to reach over 173,000 nationwide by Aug. 22.

The agency said this as the World Health Organization reported nearly 293,000 new cases worldwide.

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Officials also say they don't expect quicker test results to be a possibility anytime soon.

"It is not a possible benchmark we can achieve today given the demand and the supply," says Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir.

Some states that were hard hit in the beginning of the pandemic are now seeing a new surge, such as Illinois.

"If things don't change a reversal is where we're headed," says Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Florida broke its record of reported deaths four days in a row. The positivity rate in Arkansas is at 10%.

California also reported the first death of young person in the state, who was just a teenager.

What has added further stress to residents was the end of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act July 31. It will no longer provide unemployed residents with an extra $600 a week.

Bipartisan discussions over a new stimulus bill still have not been finalized.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows says, "At the president's direction we have made no less than four different offers to Democrats."

However, Rep. Nancy Pelosi says, "They made no such offer."

Meanwhile, the coronavirus positive rate in New York is holding steady at just under 1%, with 644 cases reported Friday out of nearly 69,000 tests.