Death certificates reveal that US hit grim COVID milestone

When the U.S. hit 1 million COVID-19 deaths, the news was driven by a government tally derived from death certificates

NEW YORK -- When the U.S. hit 1 million COVID-19 deaths on Monday, the news was driven by a government tally derived from death certificates.

But that's not the only tally. And you may be wondering, where do these numbers come from? A look behind the data:

DEATH CERTIFICATES

Deaths certificates have long been considered the most comprehensive record of deaths and their causes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention systematically collects information from all 50 states to track fatalities from all causes, including cancer, drug overdoses and now COVID-19.