Coronavirus USA: what states are spiking in COVID cases?
Despite many states seeing a spike in cases, President Donald Trump has stated that the United States would not close businesses again as a preventative measure against rising numbers of new infections.
President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States would not close businesses again as several states reported rising numbers of new coronavirus infections.
"We won't be closing the country again. We won't have to do that," Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel.
Trump's comments come after White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin both said the United States could not shut down the economy again.
In a call with governors, Vice President Mike Pence encouraged them to repeat the administration's claim that increased testing accounts for the spike in numbers, the New York Times has reported.
The paper's analysis found that positive cases outstripped the average number of administered tests in at least 14 states.
Restaurants, gyms, schools and other locations closed down in March as the country braced for the coronavirus, which has so seen over 118,000 deaths in the USA.
New spikes
Today, Arizona and Florida reported record spikes in confirmed Covid-19 cases as many US states continue their phased reopening and ramping up testing.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 3,246 new positive cases, exceeding Thursday’s single-day high of 2,519 cases. Florida health officials added 3,822 new cases Friday morning, surpassing the state’s previous single-day high of 3,207 cases also reported on Thursday. On Tuesday, Arizona and Florida announced 2,392 new cases and 2,783 new cases respectively.
California and Texas have also reported a series of increased cases with the news forcing Apple Inc to shut some stores in Florida, Arizona, South Carolina, and North Carolina as a reaction to the spike in novel coronavirus cases.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its list of states where Covid-19 deaths are expected accelerate over the next four weeks compared to the past four weeks. The list now includes Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah.
Highest global cases
Nationwide, COVID-19 cases clock in at 2.1 million, according to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University with the death total in the U.S. now standing at over 118,000, the highest on the planet.
Follow the latest on the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States via our daily live coverage.