As States Reopen, Cases Surge In Places That Were Once Cold Spots
A handful of states record-high numbers even as many metro areas that were once hot spots are reporting declines. Some experts are concerned, but state leaders downplay fears, saying that the numbers are due to more people getting tested. As of Tuesday, over 111,000 people in the United States have died of COVID-19, and a new model forecasts that the death toll will climb to 145,000 by August.
The Washington Post:
Coronavirus Spike: Fourteen States And Puerto Rico Hit Their Highest-Ever Seven-Day Average For New Cases
As rates of coronavirus infections ease in places such as New York and Illinois and onetime hot spots move into new phases of reopening, parts of the country that had previously avoided being hit hard by the outbreak are now tallying record-high new infections. Since the start of June, 14 states and Puerto Rico have recorded their highest-ever seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, according to data tracked by The Washington Post: : Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. (Bellware and Dupree, 6/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Coronavirus Cases Accelerating In More Than A Dozen U.S. States
The U.S. coronavirus death toll passed 111,000 while reported cases topped 1.9 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Cases world-wide exceeded 7 million, and deaths stood at more than 406,000. Experts say official totals likely understate the extent of the pandemic, in part because of differing testing and reporting standards. (6/9)
CIDRAP:
East Coast Sees Drop In COVID-19 Cases As Other Areas Surge
The overall decrease in COVID-19 cases in the United States is being driven by declines in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, but cases are surging in a handful of other states in the wake of reopening local economies, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah. In Arizona yesterday, officials reported 30 new deaths from the novel coronavirus and last week tallied more than 1,000 hospitalizations per day. California reported record daily highs in the last week and through the weekend, averaging about 2,666 daily new cases, according to CNN. Last Friday, California tracked 3,593 new cases, its record case count. (Soucheray, 6/8)
CNN:
US Coronavirus: As More Americans Head Out, 22 States Are Seeing Jumps In New Covid-19 Cases
While states lift more restrictions and more Americans go out to socialize or protest, almost half of US states are seeing higher rates of new coronavirus cases. But the situation would have been much worse had states not shut down, a new study says. (Maxouris and Yan, 6/8)
Reuters:
University Of Washington Forecasts 145,000 U.S. COVID-19 Deaths By August
University of Washington researchers estimated on Monday that 145,728 people could die of COVID-19 in the United States by August, raising their grim forecast by more than 5,000 fatalities in a matter of days. On Friday, the widely cited Institute for Health Metrics and evaluation at the university projected 140,496 deaths by August from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Researchers did not give a reason for the abrupt revision. (6/8)
The Washington Post:
CDC Wants States To Count 'Probable' Covid-19 Cases And Deaths, But Most Are Not Doing It
Fewer than half the states are following federal recommendations to report probable novel coronavirus cases and deaths, marking what experts say is an unusual break with public health practices that leads to inconsistent data collection and undercounts of the disease’s impact. A Washington Post review found that the states not disclosing probable cases and deaths include some of the largest: California, Florida, North Carolina and New York. That is one reason government officials and public health experts say the virus’s true toll is above the U.S. tally as of Sunday of about 1.9 million coronavirus cases and 109,000 deaths — benchmarks that shape policymaking and public opinion on the pandemic. (Reinhard, Brown, Thebault and Sun, 6/8)
NPR:
Florida's Rising COVID-19 Numbers: What Do They Mean?
Over the last week, Florida has seen rising numbers of new COVID-19 cases. Since last Tuesday, the number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus totaled more than 1,000 each day. Saturday's total of 1,426 positive tests was the most since early April. A similar rise in new cases is happening in other states, including North Carolina, Texas and California. It's leading to worries that as businesses reopen and stay-at-home orders are lifted, relaxed guidelines could lead to new outbreaks and even a second wave of infections. (Allen, 6/8)
CNN:
Florida's Seeing A Surge In Coronavirus Cases. But There's Good News, Too
First, the bad news: The number of new coronavirus cases reported in Florida each day has increased an average of roughly 46% over the past week, according to a national tracking website. But the percentage of coronavirus test results that turn out to be positive is only 4%, according to Covid19-projections.com, a modeling and tracking website cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Yan, 6/8)
NPR:
Texas Reports Record-Breaking COVID-19 Hospitalizations, As State Reopens
Texas reported a record-breaking number of COVID-19 hospitalizations Monday, as the governor plans to reopen more businesses and double capacity. Texas Department of State Health Services figures show 1,935 people were admitted as hospital patients for coronavirus-related treatment. That is up from a previous record of 1,888 more than a month ago on May 5. The department's new figures were released as Gov. Greg Abbott moves forward with a plan to open bars, restaurants, amusement parks and other businesses to 50% capacity. (Romo, 6/8)
ABC News:
No New COVID-19 Cases Tied To Missouri Hair Salon Exposure: Health Department
No new COVID-19 cases were found after two hairstylists potentially exposed 140 customers and six coworkers to the virus at a Great Clips in Missouri, the local health department said Monday. Last month, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department alerted the public that two hairstylists had tested positive for the coronavirus, potentially exposing people in the Springfield salon between May 12 and May 20. They both were symptomatic and were wearing face coverings while working, health officials said. (Deliso, 6/8)
ABC News:
12 COVID Cases Traced To Jersey Shore Memorial Day Weekend Gatherings: Officials
A dozen COVID-19 cases in a Pennsylvania suburb have been traced to Jersey Shore "beach house gatherings" over Memorial Day weekend, health officials said. The Bucks County Department of Health said Saturday that 12 recent cases were traced to a New Jersey resident who attended "multiple" house gatherings at the shore. The exposures occurred at a gathering of college-age students over the holiday weekend in Cape May County, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. The department has not identified any additional cases at this time. (Deliso, 6/8)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Coronavirus Deaths Spike Over The Weekend
In the last two days, Los Angeles County officials announced 81 new coronavirus-related deaths, the highest total reported over a weekend in more than a month. The highest weekend total of deaths was previously reported April 18-19, when 105 deaths were announced. Officials also reported 3,000 new cases on Saturday and Sunday. When officials announced that the county would more fully reopen businesses and outdoor venues, such as beaches and parks — even as the case count and death rate continued to climb — they reiterated a message repeated countless times in weeks prior: The virus has not changed; the only change has been in people’s behavior and the commitment to practice social distancing. (Shalby, 6/8)
Kaiser Health News:
Society Is Reopening. Prepare To Hunker Down At Home Again.
Even before the May 25 killing of George Floyd in police custody drew large crowds of protesters into the streets of U.S. cities, people were beginning to throng beaches, bars and restaurants. Whether for economic, social or political reasons, our home confinement seems to be ending. Or is it?Public health officials warn that a hasty reopening will generate a second wave of COVID-19 infections. That could delay a return to economic and social normalcy ― or even force us back under house arrest ― as long as there’s no reliable therapy or vaccine. (Wolfson, 6/9)
ABC News:
States Reopened For Business In May As Coronavirus Death Toll Climbed Past 100,000
As the coronavirus pandemic continued into May, Americans, health officials and elected officials reached a breaking point on their stay at home orders. The virus, however, continued to spread, and the pandemic reached a grim milestone by the end of the month. (Pereira, 6/9)
