The US on Thursday reported more than 55,000 new COVID-19 cases, a new daily global record for the coronavirus pandemic, as infections rose in a majority of states.
A surge in COVID-19 cases over the past week has put US President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis under the microscope and led several governors to halt plans to reopen their states after strict lockdowns.
The daily US tally on late Thursday stood at 55,274, topping the previous single-day record of 54,771, set by Brazil on June 19.
Photo: AFP
COVID-19 cases are rising in 37 US states including Florida, which on Thursday confirmed more than 10,000 new cases.
That marked the state’s largest daily spike so far and a level that exceeded single-day tallies from any European country at the height of the outbreak there.
California, another epicenter, saw positive tests climb 37 percent with hospitalizations over the past two weeks up 56 percent.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican who has previously resisted calls to make masks mandatory, on Thursday ordered them to be worn in all counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases.
“In the past few weeks, there has been a swift and substantial spike in coronavirus cases,” Abbott said in a video message. “We need to refocus on slowing the spread, but this time, we want to do it without closing down Texas again.”
Texas on Thursday reported nearly 8,000 new cases.
New infections in the past 14 days were rising in 37 states compared with the two weeks prior, according to a Reuters analysis.
The US has recorded nearly 129,000 deaths, nearly a quarter of the known global total.
The wave of new cases has several governors halting or back-pedaling on plans to reopen their states after months of strict lockdowns, closing beaches and canceling fireworks displays over the upcoming Independence Day weekend.
“We are not out of this crisis. We are still in the first wave of this crisis. It requires some level of personal responsibility,” California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said at a daily briefing on the pandemic.
Earlier on Thursday, Kansas required face coverings after a 46 percent spike in infections there last week.
The sweeping shutdowns earlier in the pandemic devastated the US economy and threw millions of Americans out of work, leaving governors reluctant to take such draconian steps again, even if the lifting of restrictions likely touched off the new outbreak.
A report released on Thursday by the US Department of Labor showed that the reopenings had a dramatic impact on hiring, with the US last month creating jobs at a record pace. However, employment remains 14.7 million jobs below pre-pandemic levels.
“Today’s announcement proves that our economy is roaring back,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The latest high-frequency data assembled by US Federal Reserve officials, economists and private companies suggests economic activity stalled in recent days during new clampdowns.
“More than ever, we’re concerned about the worsening health situation and its impact on the burgeoning recovery. Rebounding mobility and poor use of protective equipment will make for a dangerous summer cocktail,” Oxford Economics analyst Gregory Daco wrote.
Former US vice president Joe Biden, Trump’s expected rival for the presidency in November, criticized him on Thursday.
“Quit claiming victory with almost 15 million Americans still out of work because of the crisis. Quit ignoring the reality of this pandemic and the horrifying loss of American life,” Biden said in a campaign speech.
Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who last month attended a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been hospitalized with COVID-19, a statement on his Twitter account said. It did not say where he was infected.
Eight members of the campaign’s staff who were in Tulsa for the June 20 rally have also tested positive.
US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday was in Florida, where he met with Governor Ron DeSantis and said he supported the governor’s “prudent steps” to slow the spread of the virus.
Earlier, Pence said he and Trump supported decisions to pause reopenings, but added that he saw no need for a national mandate for face coverings.
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