The world surpassed 9 million coronavirus cases after an increase of 139,000 cases in the past 24 hours brought the global total to 9.124 million. The U.S. climbed to 2,322,100 after an increase of reported cases of COVID-19 30,400 in the past 24 hours. It seems that the curve is beginning to steepen on both the global and U.S. numbers.
Global deaths reached 472,737, an increase of about 4,000, while the U.S. death toll climbed to 120,345. So while cases continue to climb, the death rates are holding steady or even slowing.
State News
The New York Times is now reporting that 26 states are on its “Increasing” list, an increase from 23 yesterday.
Here is some recent news on individual states:
- Florida, which has more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases and 3,172 deaths, has seen a spike in cases, doubling over a ten-day period. The spike is blamed on the state’s early reopening and its reliance on tourist-related activities. More than half of the state’s cases have been linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
- Texas has reported 11 straight days of rising hospitalizations due to the coronavirus. They currently have about 120,000 cases and more than 2,200 deaths. Governor Abbot has asked everyone to wear face masks but says reversing the state’s reopening will be the last resort.
- Arizona also continues to set records with 3,200 cases reported in a single day last week. That is quite a bit for a state that has only 54,767 cases and 1,354 deaths. In fact, after months of less than 500 cases daily, more than 1,000 new cases have been reported every day for 13 days with more than 2,000 reported for five days in a row.
- In South Carolina, which has seen a spike in cases, a leader from I Can’t Breath SC has called off future protests and urged past protesters to get tested after 13 protesters came down with COVID-19. Outside of Greenville, S.C., much of the recent growth has been in Myrtle Beach, Charleston and other coastal counties that rely on tourism.
Will these spikes in cases and hospitalizations result in a spike in deaths? That will be a telling point, and one to keep careful watch on in the next two to four weeks. If deaths stay low, then the disease becomes much more manageable and less dangerous to the majority of citizens. While cases among the young are rising, few are being hospitalized compared to the rates among older citizens.
