As COVID-19 Cases Spike Across U.S., Experts Slam Debate Over Second Wave

The New York Times: With The Federal Health Megaphone Silent, States Struggle With A Shifting Pandemic
The federal government’s leadership in the coronavirus crisis has so faded that state and local health officials have been left to figure out on their own how to handle rising infections and to navigate conflicting signals from the White House. About 800 Americans a day are still dying of Covid-19, a pace that, if sustained over the next few months, would yield more than 200,000 dead by the end of September. Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Oregon and Texas all reported their largest one-day increases in new cases on Tuesday. (Stolberg, Weiland, Mervosh and Sanger, 6/17)

ABC News: Coronavirus ‘Second Wave’ Debate ‘Misses The Whole Point,’ Experts Say 
As a succession of states have noticed a troubling rise in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has become more vocal in countering claims that the nation needs to brace for a so-called "second wave." Last week, Larry Kudlow, the White House economic adviser, proclaimed on Fox News that the uptick in cases "is no emergency and there is no second wave." This week, Vice President Mike Pence echoed that sentiment in a Wall Street Journal op-ed titled, "There Isn't a Coronavirus 'Second Wave." (Bruggeman, 6/18)

The Associated Press: Mississippi Sees Jump In Virus After Lifting Restrictions
Mississippi reported one of its largest single-day increases in cases of the new coronavirus on Wednesday, more than two weeks after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves lifted most of the restrictions he had put on businesses because of the pandemic. “I’m concerned that people are losing interest in the effort to keep each other safe,” Reeves said Wednesday on Twitter. “We are all tired and ready to be done, but the virus doesn’t care. Please be on your guard — small efforts have a big impact!” (6/17)

The Hill: Rising COVID-19 Cases Start Political Brawl In Arizona 
An alarming rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Arizona is setting off a political brawl in a key swing state. Democrats have accused the state’s GOP governor, Doug Ducey, of failing to take sufficient action to halt the spike in cases. Public health experts are also warning about the trajectory of the state and say hospital capacity could be exceeded if trends continue. (Sullivan, 6/17)

Reuters: Facing Arizona Surge, Navajos Reimpose Virus Curfew
The Navajo Nation has reimposed 57-hour weekend curfews to protect citizens from a surge in coronavirus cases in neighboring Arizona after the largest Native American reservation managed to flatten its own COVID-19 curve. A month ago the coronavirus was tearing through the nation, with daily cases spiking above 170 among a population of around 174,000. That gave the Navajo Nation, which straddles parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, the highest per-capita infection rate in the country if it were a state. (Hay, 6/17)

ABC News: New Data Shows Young People Need To Take Social Distancing Seriously 
New data from across the globe shows young people who are tested for COVID-19 have a higher rate of positive results and could be spreading the virus among each other -- and to older or more vulnerable people. In the United States, the increase in new infections in some states is being blamed on young people not observing social distancing rules, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott saying the rising cases in Hays County mostly are people younger than 30. (Farber and Johnson, 6/17)

NBC News: Florida, Arizona And Texas Set Records For New COVID-19 Cases
Florida, Texas and Arizona set records for new COVID-19 cases, and more than a dozen other states are also reporting big jumps in the number of cases as much of the country reopens after months of quarantine. Are the governors in the worst-hit states considering another shutdown? Not a chance, if you ask them. (Siemaszko, 6/17)

CNN: Coronavirus Cases Are Spiking Across The US And Experts Say Florida Has The Makings Of The Next Epicenter 
Ten states saw a record number of new Covid-19 cases this week, and one of them could be the next epicenter of the pandemic. Florida has "all the markings of the next large epicenter of coronavirus transmission," and risks being the "worst it has ever been," according to Wednesday's projections from a model put together by a team of scientists at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. (Holcombe, 6/18)

WBUR: Infectious Disease Expert Urges 'Humility' As Coronavirus Cases Rebound In Some States 
Nine states reported record highs for new coronavirus cases on Tuesday — and Dr. Michael Osterholm says infectious disease experts like himself don’t understand why. As states across the U.S. relax restrictions on movement and reopen their economies, 20 areas are showing an increase in cases, according to data from The New York Times. But at the same time, 11 states have remained flat for 14 days and 20 areas are seeing substantial decreases. (Hobson and Hagan, 6/17)

ABC News: As Texas Coronavirus Cases Rise, San Antonio Finds Loophole To Mandate Masks 
San Antonio announced Wednesday it will mandate residents wear face coverings even as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused calls for stricter coronavirus precautions as coronavirus cases rise in the state. The executive order signed by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says that residents over 10 years old must wear a face covering in public if they cannot maintain 6 feet of social distancing. The order, which will last until June 30, does not violate an executive order issued by Abbott that prevents local municipalities from fining or criminalizing people. (Pereira, 6/17)

KQED: What's Behind A COVID-19 Spike In Imperial County
In late March, Imperial County had just nine confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the head of the largest hospital there thought his community had dodged a bullet. But Dr. Adolphe Edward soon realized his assessment was premature.“All of a sudden, we had 65 patients with COVID,” Edward recounted during a recent interview, “which was over 70 percent of my hospital admissions.” (Small, 6/17)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas County Reports Record 413 New Coronavirus Cases, 9 Deaths
Dallas County reported a record 413 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, a significant increase from the county’s previous one-day high and the first time it has crossed the 400-case threshold. Officials said an increasing number of outbreaks are being reported from large social gatherings that have taken place this month. The county also reported nine additional deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday. (Jones and Steele, 6/17)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Hospitalizations Rise In Orange, Ventura Counties
Officials across Southern California are grappling with whether to temper reopening efforts in the face of rising coronavirus hospitalizations, a move that seems likely to spark public outcry. Statewide, hospitalizations among COVID-19 patients have been relatively flat for the last six weeks, even as officials have allowed myriad businesses to open their doors and a number of residents have resumed daily routines. (Fry, Lin, Money and Lee, 6/17)