A total number of 45,255 COVID-19 cases were reported in the US on Friday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 2.46 million in the entire country – according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Most of the cases were recorded in 34 states which include Arizona, Texas, California, Florida, and Nevada, CNBC reports.
The nationwide number of almost 2.5 million positive cases in the US is the highest in the world. The emergence of high cases has confused many state governments, forcing many of them to either reverse or pause their reopening plans. Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House health advisor, said the increased coronavirus hospitalizations may lead to more deaths and that the country should be prepared for any eventualities.
“There are more cases,” Fauci said. “There are more hospitalizations in some of those places and soon you’ll be seeing more deaths. Even though the deaths are coming down as a country, that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to start seeing them coming up now.”
Health experts identify young people as contributing to the spread of the pandemic in the country, saying many of these are asymptomatic but carelessly go on to infect vulnerable people who either get hospitalized or die from the disease. They warn younger people to restrict their movements and adhere to health protocols established by the CDC so that the number of cases can plummet.
White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, noted that COVID-19 infection is usually severe in patients with underlying health conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes among others. Most people who have died from the pandemic after hospitalization had pre-existing medical conditions, necessitating the need for everyone to be cautious of contracting the disease if they have any underlying conditions.
Given the fact that many states are reconsidering their reopening plans, Washington stated that some of its counties would not move to the planned Phase 4 reopening at the moment and that some counties will reopen before others. Phase 4 reopening means that public gatherings can be more than 50 people and recreational activities across the counties will resume. Night clubs, sports centers, and concert facilities will also be reopened; and as it stands, eight of the 39 counties in Washington have been cleared to proceed to Phase 4 reopening.
Other states such as Texas, Arizona, and Florida where the pandemic is also very high are considering their options and doing everything in their power to arrest the spike of the disease and reopen all their social facilities.
Source: cnbc.com