Published 11:16 IST, June 30th 2020
California and Texas witness record spikes in new coronavirus cases
California along with states of Florida, Texas, and Arizona have witnessed a new wave of the COVID-19 as cases in Texas set a record for a one-day increase.
In a record spike, states of California and Texas in the US registered over 9,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in a single day, and additionally, more than 8,000 deaths as critical cases of patients in need of hospitalization soared. Therefore, the total number of cases in each state soared to 224,000 and 159,000 respectively, according to the state maintained COVID-19 tally. Meanwhile, the new epicenter, Los Angeles reported a ‘shocking’ single-day surge as it put coronavirus cases over 100,000.
Director of public health for Los Angeles County, reportedly said in a statement that the alarming increases in cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations signalled that the county needed to take immediate actions to slow the spread of COVID-19. She added, Los Angeles was now seeing a spike that could overwhelm the healthcare system and the state might witness even more devastating illnesses and deaths. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a halt to the plans of reopening the theatres, theme parks, and other entertainment venues, according to media reports.
US recorded over 40,000 cases
Further, California along with states of Florida, Texas, and Arizona have witnessed a new wave of the COVID-19. While cases in Texas set a record for a one-day increase after it reported new cases 6,545 on June 29, California witnessed an increase of more than 4,000 cases, as per reports. Overall, the United States recorded over 40,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus for the fourth consecutive day. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey instructed the nightclubs, gyms, bars, movie theatres, and water parks to shut down with immediate effect or at least a month. “Our expectation is that next week our numbers will be worse,” Ducey said at a live-streamed news conference.
Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom issued orders across Los Angeles and six other counties for the closure of nightclubs and bars, including in Riverside and San Bernardino. Instructing the bars to “close immediately” in eight more counties, Newsom said the bars have a higher risk of transmission, and coronavirus was rapidly spreading in areas where such establishments had resumed operation.
(Image Credit: AP)
Updated 11:16 IST, June 30th 2020