Spikes were reported in 36 states, including Florida, which experts cautioned could be the next epicenter
A rise was reported in a staggering 36 states, including Florida, which some experts have cautioned could be the next epicenter for infections. Officials there and across the US are also warning of an increase in cases among younger people.
Florida reported 9,585 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a single-day record since the start of the pandemic. The number rivals those of New York’s peak in early April (New York’s new case tally Saturday was about 6% of Florida’s). On Sunday, Florida’s Department of Health reported another 8,530 new cases.
The head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contended the increase was actual, not an anomaly related to testing numbers, and warned more spread and deaths were in the country’s future.
“As a doctor, a scientist, an epidemiologist, I can tell you with 100% certainty that in most states where you’re seeing an increase, it is a real increase. It is not more tests; it is more spread of the virus,” CDC Director Tom Frieden told Fox News on Sunday.
In the South, the numbers are rising as a result of hasty reopenings, he said, and it’s “going to continue to get worse for weeks.” Deaths are not yet spiking because deaths lag infections by about a month, he said, estimating the nation will see at least 15,000 more deaths in the next month.
“This virus still has the upper hand,” Frieden told Fox News.
Record numbers may underestimate cases
The daunting numbers could be “a tip of the iceberg,” Frieden said. A CDC survey suggests the total number of coronavirus infections across the US could actually be six to 24 times greater than reported.
Where new cases are on the rise
The 36 states reporting a rise in cases are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Cases are tracking steady in Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Virginia.
New York on Sunday boasted its fewest deaths — five — since March 15, and hospitalizations were below 900.
About 1% of the tests conducted in the state Saturday were positive, resulting in 616 new cases in 43 counties, according to a news release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.
States hit pause on reopening
At least 12 states halted or rolled back their reopening plans in hopes of curbing the spread of the virus.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Saturday he’s hitting the pause button on the state’s reopening plan due to rising cases. Some counties were preparing to enter the fourth phase of reopening, “which would essentially mean no restrictions,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
“Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity, and we can’t do that now,” the statement said. “This is an evolving situation and we will continue to make decisions based on the data.”
“I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of Covid-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly, and socially distancing from others. The more that we all follow these guidelines, the safer our state will be and the more we can open up Texas for business.”
Arizona’s governor has also announced that the state’s reopening is on pause as a result of a major spike in cases.
Pleas to young groups
“There is a sense that a lot of young people, well you’re young so you feel a little bit more invincible but, respectfully, often that can be a selfish mindset,” Newsom said.
In Florida, Gov. DeSantis said while the median age for those infected with the virus in March was in the 60s, in the past two to three weeks it’s dropped to people in their early 30s.
The governor urged younger groups to be vigilant, saying while they may not be at risk for serious complications, they can pass the virus on to someone who is. The state’s community transmission, he said, is “being driven by that 18 to 35-year-old group.”
In addition to potentially spreading the virus to older people and those with compromised immune systems, family physician Dr. Jen Caudle said, young people face their own risks and it’s important they not consider it “a walk in the park.” She’s had young patients suffer strokes, and others who’ve experienced shortness of breath, fatigue or loss of smell and taste long after their recovery, she said.
“Just because young people tend to fare better doesn’t mean that they always do,” she said. “It’s really important that we wear our masks, that we social distance. Especially in places where Covid is increasing, it’s honestly best to stay home.”
CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Andy Rose, Artemis Moshtaghian, Kristina Sgueglia, Gisela Crespo, Michael Nedelman and Wes Bruer contributed to this report.
