Rising coronavirus cases in 39 U.S. states cast a shadow over the nation’s Fourth of July celebrations as health experts worried that holiday parties will cause a further spike in infections that could overwhelm hospitals.
After towns and cities across the country canceled annual fireworks displays to avoid large crowds gathering, many Americans launched bottle rockets and roman candles from streets and suburban backyards to commemorate Independence Day.
In the first four days of July alone, 15 states have reported record increases in new cases of COVID-19, which has infected nearly 3 million Americans and killed about 130,000, according to a Reuters tally.
Florida’s cases have risen by over 10,000 for three out of the last four days, including climbing by 10,059 on Sunday, surpassing the highest daily tally reported by any European country during the height of the coronavirus outbreak there. Cases are also soaring in Arizona, California and Texas and trending upwards in Midwest states that once had infections declining such as Iowa, Ohio and Michigan, according to a Reuters analysis of how much cases rose in the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks.
In Phoenix, Arizona, people gathered on Saturday without masks or social distancing to listen to a speaker at a rally against restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. Many in the crowd wore red, white and blue, and some held signs saying, “Capitalism makes sense. Socialism doesn’t. Go Trump 2020.”
“We opened way too early in Arizona,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said on ABC. She said the city was in a “crisis related to testing,” with people waiting in eight-hour lines in their cars to find out if they were infected.
During an Independence Day speech at the White House on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that 99% of coronavirus cases in the United States were “totally harmless.”
In Texas alone, the number of COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized rose to a record 7,890 on Saturday compared with 3,247 just two weeks ago. The Democratic mayor of Austin, Texas, warned during an interview with CNN that his city’s hospitals could reach capacity in two weeks and run out of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in 10 days. In Arizona, about 90% of ICU beds are full.
‘NO ROOM TO EXPERIMENT’
Trump, a Republican, has refused to wear a mask in public and has been reluctant to encourage Americans to do so, saying it was a personal choice. A July 4 celebration he attended at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota was “mask-optional” and had no social distancing.
Mixed messaging from governments has been a major factor in people not following coronavirus mitigation recommendations in Miami Beach, said its Democratic mayor, Dan Gelber.
Miami Beach’s coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled in the last 14 days and hospitals now have 158 people on ventilators, up from 64 two weeks ago, he told CNN.
“We’re spreading it because of this incredible activity, and too many people obviously are not taking seriously all of these admonishments to socially distance to wear masks,” he said.
In addition to rising cases, an alarming percentage of tests are coming back positive. The World Health Organization considers a positivity rate above 5% to be cause for concern because it suggests there are more cases in the community that have yet to be uncovered.
Ten states averaged double-digit positivity rates over the past week – Arizona (26%), Florida (18%), South Carolina (17%), Nevada (14%), Alabama (14%), Texas (14%), Mississippi (13%), Georgia (13%), Idaho (11%) and Kansas (10%), according to The COVID Tracking Project https://covidtracking.com/data/charts/state-percent-positive-and-average-tests-per-100k-people, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak.
Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County, a hard-hit county in Texas that includes Houston, said officials must be proactive in getting ahead of the virus and advocated a stay-at-home order. “We don’t have room to experiment. We don’t have room for incrementalism when we’re seeing these kinds of numbers,” she told ABC.
What they’re not showing is that the death rate are low. More people are going to test positive eventually. This is called herd immunity. The lockdowns did a lot of harm. These states mentioned have a flat curve which was the goal in the beginning. Drs in Texas have said their hospitals are not filled with Covid-19 patients. They’re filled because all the elective surgeries being done which was denied during the shutdown. NY and NY and all states who’s death rates were due to fact they didn’t handle it right and put the most vulnerable which the media ignores. The CCD is considering taken the label of pandemic off. This is political only. Everyone who isn’t vulnerable need to get it and we keep the vulnerable and those with pre-existing conditions safe. We have never made the healthy stay in during a health crisis, only the sick. The democrats could care less about the health of the people. They’re using it to make order for their NWO. She already said it was time for a universal basic income and are only encouraging the BLM and Antifa. Wake up freedoms at stake. Do not go by CNN and MSNBC. Follow Fox News and you’ll see the real facts.
Quote: “Trump, a Republican, has refused to wear a mask in public and has been reluctant to encourage Americans to do so, saying it was a personal choice.” First off, that is PRESIDENT Trump; not just Trump. After all you are not speaking of someone like de Blasio or Schiff. Secondly, yes isn’t it wonderful to have a president who recognizes that American citizens have free choice? We do not live in a dictatorship where every aspect of our lives are controlled by the government.
Quote: “Rising coronavirus cases in 39 U.S. states cast a shadow…” Thirty nine states–so states run by Democrats as well as Republicans. Meaning states that did not (have not) reopened are also showing increases. Hmm riots, anyone?
I am sure or at least hopeful that at one time there was a reason for the second paragraph but currently it has no purpose unless the writer is being paid by the word. Quote: “In the first four days of July alone, 15 states have reported record increases in new cases of COVID-19,…” In other words before the decried 4th of July celebrations.
Quote: “During an Independence Day speech at the White House on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that 99% of coronavirus cases in the United States were “totally harmless.” Prove him wrong. For some reason any claim by President Trump is always reported as ‘without evidence’ but when the media was claiming collusion with Russia it was not shown as being ‘without evidence.’ Adam Schiff stated to the cameras many times, without evidence, that he had or had seen conclusive evidence to prove the charges against the president. As we all know both Schiff and the media lied. Reports show that 80% of those affected by Wuhan Flu will have zero symptoms and 99% of the others will recover with no lasting effects.
Thanks to both the prior comments I agree and appreciate that there are those who can see the lies of the liberals who hate their home.
I believe these deceived people, the general public that have swallowed the Big lie and those that are telling it often enough to the indoctrinated and willingly ignorant people will both one day soon wish they would of done their research as we are overthrow by evil and ruthless people.
Man can’t fix a spiritual problem. If we the people would look to the Bible we could plainly see what happens to a nation that turns their back on God.
If the people don’t want to look to the God of the Bible Then I advise look at the communist play book of Lenin and Stalin and we can and will clearly see history repeat itself.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
I Corinthians 1:18
Not sure who this website is published by, but your definition of patriot is different than mine. I’ve seen several disparaging articles on our president, and you seem to line up closer to CNN than to my beliefs. See ya, you’re out of here