US records 60,207 new coronavirus cases and 832 deaths in 24 hours

According to John Hopkins University, the United States on July 18 recorded 60,207 new cases of coronavirus. The Baltimore-based University said that takes the total number of cases in the US to 3,698,209. The US is the hardest hit nation by the global pandemic. 

Also, another 832 deaths were reported, taking the total fatalities to 139,960. The country has seen a resurgence in cases from Florida to California. In Texas and Arizona, authorities have to bring up refrigerated trucks to cope with the body count.

Read:  WHO sees record increase in coronavirus cases, global toll surpasses 14 Million

Coronavirus takes over the United States

A health official on the Texas Gulf Coast claimed that 85 infants have tested positive for the coronavirus. Corpus Christi Nueces County Public Health Director Annette Rodriguez said Friday that the 85 infants are each younger than 1, but offered no other details, including how the children are suspected to have become infected. “These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us to stop the spread of this disease" by staying home except for necessary trips, socially distancing and wearing masks in public, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez did not return messages for comment Saturday from The Associated Press.

Read: Texas coronavirus cases include more than 80 infants

New coronavirus cases patients have swamped emergency rooms at various hospitals in the US. Some patients have been moved to the hallway and nurses are doing extra shifts to cope up with the surge. Patients struggling to breathe are being put on ventilators due to the unavailability of intensive care units. In Texas, Dr. Alison Haddock of the Baylor College of Medicine said the current situation is worse than after Hurricane Harvey, which swamped Houston with floodwaters in 2017. The state reported a new daily record for virus deaths Friday and more than 10,000 confirmed cases for the fourth consecutive day. Haddock who has been working in emergency since 2007 said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this COVID surge. We are doing our best but we are not an ICU.’

Also Read: Coronavirus patients swamp emergency rooms in some US states

(Image credit: AP)