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It’s getting worse. On July 10, the United States set yet another single-day record for new confirmed coronavirus cases, reporting over 70,000 new patients nationwide. As most other countries hit by the pandemic in March and April return to an adjusted sense of normalcy, many regions of the United States are shutting down again in order to prevent the community spread that has exploded over the past month. As deaths spike in Florida, Arizona, and California, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci warned Congress that he “would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 [new cases] a day if this does not turn around.” Below are the states where caseloads are currently surging in the wrong direction.
Alabama
New cases in the last seven days: 8,678
Shutdown status: As of June 30, movie theaters and summer camps were open “subject to social distancing guidelines” while bars and indoor dining remained open at 50 percent capacity.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 15.63 percent.
On July 9, Alabama broke its single-day record for new coronavirus cases with 2,164. As the state intends to release its plan for fall school reopening on July 10, the Alabama Department of Public Health warns that they do not have enough contact tracers to keep up with the current outbreak. On July 6, the state health department reported a new high of COVID-19 hospitalizations, with over 1,000 patients. Of the state’s total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, almost 31 percent have occurred in the last two weeks.
Arizona
New cases in the last seven days: 24,378.
Shutdown status: On June 29, Governor Doug Ducey ordered all bars, gyms, movie theaters, and water parks to close for at least 30 days, and he pushed back the reopening of on-campus grade schools. On July 9, Ducey ordered all restaurants to operate at 50 percent capacity.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 26.55 percent.
Arizona’s outbreak continues to worsen, with the majority of its cases reported in the past few few weeks. Hospitalizations are on the rise as well: On July 4, 3,182 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, the new record high for the state. On July 6, the state passed 100,000 total cases for the first time — becoming the ninth state to do so. With cases continuing to surge, the bordering Mexican state of Sonora is cracking down on non-essential travel from Arizona. On July 7, the state recorded its single-day high of 117 coronavirus deaths.
California
New cases in the last seven days: 60,649.
Shutdown status: On July 13, Governor Newsom ordered all indoor activities at restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, and museums to shut down, and announced the closure of all bars.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): .8.35 percent.
Though the nation’s most populous state handled its initial coronavirus outbreak with a great deal of success, cases have spiked since Memorial Day: California set its daily record of new cases with over 11,694 on July 7, and it continues to clock more than 6,000 new patients a day. While young people are leading the spike in new cases — meaning lower rates of hospitalization than in March and April — L.A. County still only has 113 available ICU beds as of July 11. On July 12, the death toll in California surpassed 7,000, becoming the fifth state to do so. On July 13, in addition to the most significant rollback of reopening measures to date, San Diego and Los Angeles Counties announced that public school students would not return to campus next month.
Florida
New cases in the last seven days: 69,043.
Shutdown status: On June 26, Governor Ron DeSantis closed bars, while restaurants are allowed to stay open at 50 percent capacity. Schools are expected to reopen in August.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 18.65 percent.
On July 12, Florida set a new U.S. record for most cases recorded in a single day, with its 15,299 surpassing New York’s previous daily record of 12,274. Governor DeSantis has yet to issue a mandatory mask order, though on July 1, Miami-Dade County required residents to cover their faces in public. On July 6, Miami-Dade County also shut down indoor dining and gyms, among other businesses. Jacksonville — where Trump’s RNC acceptance speech is slated to be held in August — is currently experiencing the second-fastest case growth of any city in the country. With Disney World newly reopened and the adjusted NBA season restarting in Orlando on July 30, the state is expected to be a focus on national attention for the remainder of the summer.
Georgia
New cases in the last seven days: 21,401.
Shutdown status: On June 29, Governor Brian Kemp banned gatherings of more than 50 people, though the state’s bars and indoor dining remain open.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 15.95 percent.
Despite a record of 4,484 new cases on July 10 and the pleas of hundreds of health-care workers, Governor Kemp has declined to order the mandatory use of masks statewide or to re-close bars and restaurant. The mayor of Savannah, Van Johnson, issued an executive order on July 1 requiring mask-wearing in public, however. As of June 30, there were 1,649 coronavirus hospitalizations in the state. On July 6, Atlanta Mayor — and a candidate for Joe Biden’s VP pick — Keisha Lance Bottoms announced she tested positive for COVID-19, despite experiencing “no symptoms.” On July 10, Bottoms announced Atlanta would return to phase one of its reopening process.
Mississippi
New cases in the last seven days: 5,423.
Shutdown status: On July 9, Governor Tate Reeves announced mask requirements for 13 counties, and restricting indoor gatherings to 10 people — though that order does not include bars, restaurants, and casinos.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 21.49 percent.
With Mississippi’s biggest hospitals running out of beds, a major outbreak has occurred in the state legislature, where 26 lawmakers — one in seven Mississippi legislators — have contracted the virus. Though Mississippi’s total caseload still remains fairly low, the state has the second-highest positive testing rate, suggesting the potential for a spike in cases in the coming weeks.
South Carolina
New cases in the last seven days: 11,801.
Shutdown status: In an announcement on July 1, Governor Henry McMaster stated that he will still not enact a statewide mask requirement.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 19.13 percent.
As hospitalizations continue to set daily records in the state, restaurants are still open for dine-in eating at a limited capacity. On July 1, in a warning to residents to take social distancing seriously over the holiday weekend, McMaster let his priorities be known: “Let me make it very clear. Wear a mask and social distance now so we can enjoy high-school and college football in South Carolina this fall.” On July 12, the state reported two diagnoses of children experiencing the coronavirus-related pediatric inflammatory syndrome.
Texas
New cases in the last seven days: 63,419.
Shutdown status: On June 26, Governor Abbott ordered bars to close on-premise service, and restaurants to be reduced to 50 percent capacity. On July 2, he issued a statewide mask mandate.
Percentage of positive coronavirus tests (7-day average): 17.65 percent.
Texas reached another milestone on July 7 when it reported over 10,000 new cases in a single day. With ICU capacity exceeding 100 percent in Houston, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick — who existentially dismissed the pandemic in April when he said that “there are more important things than living” — is bucking federal advice. On June 30, Patrick said that he would no longer listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci. “He has been wrong every time on every issue,” Patrick said, of the NIAID head whose early estimate on COVID-19 deaths remains accurate. “I don’t need his advice anymore.”
On July 5, the state broke its record of hospitalized coronavirus patients, with 8,181 Texans hospitalized with the virus. Also on July 5, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner warned that the city’s hospital system could soon be “overwhelmed” with patients. “If we don’t get our hands around this virus quickly, in about two weeks our hospital system could be in serious, serious trouble,” Turner told CBS News.
This post has been updated to include newly reported numbers.
