California and Texas marked record spikes in new COVID-19 infections on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, as Los Angeles reported an “alarming” one-day surge in the US’ second-largest city that pushed it over 100,000 cases.
Los Angeles has become a new epicenter in the pandemic as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge there, despite California Governor Gavin Newsom’s strict orders requiring bars to close and residents to wear masks in nearly all public spaces.
“The alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations signals that we, as a community, need to take immediate action to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Barbara Ferrer, director of public health for Los Angeles County, said in a statement announcing the sharp rise.
Photo: AFP
“Otherwise, we are quickly moving toward overwhelming our healthcare system and seeing even more devastating illness and death,” Ferrer said.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a “hard pause” on when theaters, theme parks and other entertainment venues could reopen.
Los Angeles County said its beaches would be closed for the Independence Day weekend, which begins on Friday, and fireworks displays would be banned.
Statewide positive tests for COVID-19 on Monday rose by at least 7,418 in California to nearly 223,000, the biggest one-day increase since tracking began.
Los Angeles County, with a population of 10 million, has recorded 100,000 cases.
California is among a number of US states, including Florida, Texas and Arizona, battling a new wave of infections as the nation emerges from weeks of clamp-downs on residents and businesses. COVID-19 infections in Texas on Monday rose by 6,545 to nearly 160,000, also setting a record for a one-day increase.
Nationally, cases rose by more than 40,000, for the fourth time in the past five days.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey ordered the closure of bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and water parks for at least 30 days.
Ducey also delayed the start of public schools until at least Aug. 17.
“Our expectation is that next week our numbers will be worse,” Ducey told an afternoon news conference.
US Vice President Mike Pence is to travel to Phoenix today to discuss efforts to fight the pandemic’s resurgence.
Texas and Florida ordered the closure of all their recently reopened bars on Friday.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Monday said that indoor dining would not resume tomorrow as planned and would be postponed indefinitely.
In Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly imposed a statewide mandate requiring the wearing of masks in public spaces, which she said was necessary to avoid another shutdown.
Beaches in Florida’s Broward County and Palm Beach County would not open for the holiday weekend, officials said on Sunday, a blow to residents hoping to celebrate Independence Day there. Miami-Dade County has also announced beach closures for the holiday weekend.
AMC, the largest US movie theater chain, on Monday said it was pushing back the reopening of its theaters to July 30 from July 15.
The city of Jacksonville, Florida, venue for part of the Republican nominating convention in August, wrote on Twitter that it would be requiring masks in public starting on Monday.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that US President Donald Trump “has no problem with masks and to do whatever your local jurisdiction requests.”
The New York Times reported that 43 percent of US deaths from COVID-19 were linked to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
The paper cited its own tracking database.
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