TIDAL WAVE
Coronavirus outbreak ‘snowballing’ in US as daily cases hit record high and almost 1,000 are dying per day
THE coronavirus outbreak is "snowballing" in the US, experts have warned - as daily cases hit a new record on Wednesday and almost 1,000 victims are dying per day.
The resurgence is wiping out two months of progress as infections - as experts warn a contagion disaster is unfolding.
The unprecedented surge during America's reopening has resulted in an virus uptick that is now threatening to overwhelm hospitals.
“It is snowballing," said Dr Marc Boom, president of Houston Methodist Hospital. "We will most certainly see more people die as a result of this spike.
“It is possible to open up at a judicious pace and coexist with the virus, but it requires millions and millions of people to do the right thing."
The recorded a one-day total of 36,400 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, the highest level since late April, when the number peaked at 34,700, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
As surging US coronavirus cases fueled fears of a second wave:
- Disney announced it was
- Cases leapt by 70 per cent in
- Infections worldwide neared
- WWE grappled its own coronavirus scare as
- NY, NJ and CT governors announced a for people from high risk states
Texas, , and have each had more than 5,000 new cases in one day, marking a sharp .
During his congressional testimony, top doc acknowledged the "disturbing surge" in these states, noting that it could be due to an "increase of community spread."
The unwelcome news comes after since George Floyd's police custody death on May 25.
President in Tulsa and Phoenix this week.
SPIRALING INFECTIONS
On Wednesday, the University of Washington estimated that approximately 180,000 people will die from coronavirus by October 1.
Countrywide, there were 34,720 new cases were reported on Tuesday in the US.
This marks the third-highest number of new cases in one day since the pandemic began, as per John Hopkins University data.
Spiraling infection rates have resulted in 820 Americans succumbing to the deadly disease on Tuesday as the death toll topped 121,000.
TEXAS IN TROUBLE
On Tuesday, the enormous Texas Medical Center (TMC) revealed 97 percent of its ICU beds are occupied.
The normal occupancy rate for the center, touted as the largest medical complex in the world, is 70 to 80 percent.
Twenty-seven percent of these patients have contracted COVID-19, the deadly bug caused by coronavirus.
Normal ICU bed capacity at TMC is 1,462, reported , but it can reach 649 beds if needed.
Nevertheless, this rocketing rate of infection isn't sustainable, according to Houston Health Authority Dr David Persse.
"When challenged with those surge plans, [which[ are very resource-intensive, and that's probably not something they would be able to do for a long period of time," he said.
Coronavirus hospitalizations doubled over the past month to over 4,000 on Wednesday and they've tripled in Houston over the last four weeks.
Texas' Republican Gov after ending his stay home order prematurely on April 30.
"Because the spread is so rampant right now, there's never a reason for you to have to leave your home," Abbott told
"Unless you do need to go out, the safest place for you is at your home."
Abbott initially barred local officials from fining or penalizing anyone for not wearing a mask as the state reopened.
After the spike, Abbott said business should be allowed to mandate masks – but he has yet to enforce it for individuals.
SURGE IN CA
was forced to delay the July 17 reopening of their theme park as officials feared a resurgence.
On Tuesday, the state set a new record when hospitalizations exploded by 29 percent over the past two weeks.
The number of ICU patients also increased by 18 percent as Gov Gavin Newsom urged officials to enforce the rules
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Newsom begged residents to adhere to the face covering and social distancing guidelines as cases surged.
"Everybody cares about somebody and somebody else," he told reporters.
"If that's the case, demonstrate it. Prove it. Protect others by wearing a face covering.
The democratic governor vowed that counties "flouting" the rules and regulations that they would lose state funding.
"We're going to attach some considerations, some consequences to that," Newsom warned.
HIGH RISK STATES
Florida alone had 5,511 newly reported cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The total number of infections across Florida are now 109,014.
In a sign of the shift in the outbreak, , and announced they will ask visitors from states with high infection rates to quarantine themselves for 14 days.
In March, Florida issued such an order for visitors from the area when it was the US epicenter.
New infections are on the decline in New York and New Jersey, but other states set single-day records this week, including , , , and .
Some of them also broke hospitalization records, as did and .
Just 17 percent of intensive-care beds were available on Wednesday in – including just one in Montgomery though hospitals can add more, said Dr Don Williamson, head of the Alabama Hospital Association.
"There is nothing that Im seeing that makes me think we are getting ahead of this," Williamson said.
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Elsewhere, in Arizona, emergency rooms experienced 1,200 suspected COVID-19 patients a day, compared with around 500 a month ago.
Disturbingly, if the trends continue, hospitals will probably exceed capacity within the next several weeks," said Dr Joseph Gerald.
"We are in deep trouble," said the University of Arizona public health policy professor, urging the state to impose new restrictions on businesses, which Gov Doug Ducey has refused to do.
White House preparing for second wave of coronavirus as 12 states hit daily records
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