Coronavirus infections are now on the rise in 40 states across the US as Sunbelt states including Texas, Arizona and California continue to report record hospitalizations and cases.
The number of cases across the United States has now surpassed 2.9 million and more than 130,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.
Sixteen states have posted record daily case counts this month alone and new COVID-19 cases have risen nationally every week for five straight weeks, according to a Reuters analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project.
The US has seen a 27 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases in the last week compared to the previous seven days. New cases per day nationwide have hit record levels of well over 50,000.
Deaths continued to fall nationally in the week ending July 5, according to the analysis.
A handful of states, however, have reported increases in deaths for at least two straight weeks, including Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee.
Coronavirus infections are now on the rise in 40 states across the US. The US has seen a 27 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases in the last week compared to the previous seven days. New cases per day nationwide have hit record levels of well over 50,000
The number of cases across the United States has now surpassed 2.9 million and more than 130,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. New cases per day nationwide have hit record levels of well over 50,000 but deaths, which health experts say are a lagging indicator, continue to fall nationally
Health experts say deaths are a lagging indicator because it takes time for people to get sick and die. They say the current downward trend reflects advances in treatment and prevention, as well as the large share of cases among young adults, who are more likely than older ones to survive COVID-19.
Officials have warned the current trend of younger adults making up the majority of new cases could possibly cause the death rate to spike in the coming weeks given they could be spreading the virus to older, more vulnerable people.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has forecast that the death toll could reach 160,000 later this month.
California, Texas and Florida are among two dozen states reporting high infection rates as a percentage of diagnostic tests conducted over the past week – an alarming sign of a virus still spreading largely unchecked throughout much of the country.
In California, COVID-19 hospitalizations have jumped 50 percent over the past two weeks.
Texas also registered an all-time high in the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus and officials say hospitals are in danger of being overwhelmed.
Hospitalizations in Texas surged past 8,000 for the first time over the weekend, a more than fourfold increase in the past month. Houston officials said intensive care units there have exceeded capacity.
Hospitalizations across Florida have also been ticking upward, with nearly 1,700 patients admitted in the past seven days compared with 1,200 the previous week. Five hospitals in the St. Petersburg area were out of intensive care unit beds, officials said. Miami’s Baptist Hospital had only four of its 88 ICU beds available.
While cases have been surging across the country in recent weeks, deaths, which health experts say are a lagging indicator because it takes time for people to get sick and die, continue to fall nationally. Experts say this downward trend reflects advances in treatment and prevention, as well as the large share of cases among young adults, who are more likely than older ones to survive COVID-19
Health experts say the downward trend in deaths across the US is partly due to the large share of new cases among young adults who are more likely than older ones to survive COVID-19. The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 aged between 18-49 is increasing, according to CDC data from commerical laboratories
In Arizona, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 topped 3,200, a new high, and hospitals statewide were at 89 percent capacity.
As the US emerged from a July 4 weekend of picnics, pool parties and beach outing that health officials fear could fuel the worsening outbreak, more states are reporting a troubling increase in the percentage of COVID-19 diagnostic tests that come back positive – a key indicator of community spread that experts refer to as the rate of ‘positivity’.
Two dozen states, mostly in the South and West, have averaged positivity rates over the past week exceeding 5 percent – a level the World Health Organization considers to be concerning.
Officials say that if a positivity rate is too high – above 5 percent – it could indicate that the state is only testing the sickest patients and not casting a wide enough net to see how much the virus is spreading.
Several states were averaging double-digit rates and climbing, including Arizona at 26 percent, Florida at 19 percent and Mississippi at 17 percent.
Nationally, 7.5 percent of diagnostic tests came back positive last week, up from 7 percent the prior week and 5 percent two weeks ago, according to an analysis.
Testing rose by 7.5 percent last week and set a new record high with over 721,000 tests performed on July 3.
Health officials in South Carolina reported over 1,500 new cases Monday. If the numbers keep rising at their current rates, hospitals will probably have to adopt an emergency plan to add 3,000 more beds in places such as hotels and gyms, authorities said.
TEXAS HOSPITAL: Hospitalizations in Texas surged past 8,000 for the first time over the weekend, a more than fourfold increase in the past month
TEXAS CASES: The number of daily infections in Texas have been surging with more than 3,449 cases reported Sunday and a record-setting 8,258 new cases reported Saturday
TEXAS DEATHS: Fatalities in Texas surged last week to near-record highs. Officials reported 18 new deaths on Monday
CALIFORNIA: The state reported a record high of 11,500 new cases over the holiday weekend but only six deaths
CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL: In California, COVID-19 hospitalizations have jumped 50 percent over the past two weeks
Alabama has been averaging about 1,000 new cases a day, two or three times what it was seeing in late April, when its stay-at-home order was lifted.
‘We set a record for highs over the holiday weekend, and, of course, given the number of people who were out and about over the weekend celebrating, we are certainly concerned about what the next couple of weeks are going to look like as well,’ said Scott Harris, Alabama’s health officer.
In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice reversed course and ordered the wearing of face masks indoors, joining other state leaders around the country.
‘I’m telling you, West Virginia, if we don’t do that and do this now, we’re going to be in a world of hurt,’ he said, adding: ‘It’s not much of an inconvenience.’
The disquieting surge in new cases has prompted many local leaders to slow down or roll back business reopenings in hopes of curbing infection rates that have started to overwhelm hospitals in some areas.
Florida’s greater Miami area became the latest hot spot to roll back its reopening with Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordering restaurant dining to close on Monday.
‘We can tamp down the spread if everyone follows the rules, wears masks and stays at least six feet (2 m) apart from others,’ the Miami mayor said in a statement announcing his emergency order, which also closed ballrooms, banquet halls, fitness centers and short-term housing rentals.
Restaurants also were targeted for a July 4 weekend crackdown on coronavirus enforcement in California.
Governor Gavin Newsom said state regulators visited nearly 6,000 bars and restaurants over the weekend to ensure compliance with rules barring indoor seating or the reopening of any establishment that serves alcohol without food.
ARIZONA CASES: The state recorded 3,352 new cases on Monday, down from the record 4,448 on June 25
ARIZONA DEATHS: Deaths across Arizona have been declining with one new death reported on Monday, according to state health data
ARIZONA HOSPITALS: In Arizona, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 topped 3,200, a new high, and hospitals statewide were at 89 percent capacity