States Seeing Another Increase in Case Counts
Many states that were hit hard by the coronavirus expected they had already endured the worst. Now, states like Louisiana, California, Washington, and Michigan are seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases after experiencing a period of decline.
While the number of cases and deaths continues to rise, experts are frustrated because of the way the virus has been handled. As a result, they are nervous about what the future holds for this country.
Causes of the Increase
Officials have pointed to multiple reasons these states are seeing such a large increase in COVID-19 case counts.
Individuals are refusing to stay inside as well as refusing to wear face masks or face coverings. Many people have stopped social distancing and are gathering in crowds. Some people do not believe the virus is actually harmful to themselves and to others.
Experts explained that states began opening up and loosening their restrictions too soon.
John Swartzberg, a doctor at the University of California Berkeley, stated: “I don’t think there’s any question about that anymore. Even in California, we opened up too fast.”
Linda Vail, Ingham County’s Health Officer, pointed to the opening of bars and restaurants as a major cause, as well as those who think the virus is a hoax.
Case Counts in the States
The Governor of New York believes the state will see a surge of COVID-19 cases in the near future.
On Wednesday, California recorded its highest single-day death toll of 149. According to Barbara Ferrer, the public health director for L.A. County, “we’re seeing community spread and hospitalizations like we saw in late April — and what we hoped would be the height of infection.”
Washington, the state of the first outbreak, is seeing record case counts.
Louisiana has come close to passing its highest number of daily cases from April.
Florida’s case count on July 12th reached 15,300 new cases. This is the largest increase in one day since the beginning of the pandemic.
Carl Bergstrom, a biology professor at the University of Washington, said: “We’re basically at the same place we were at the start of March, in terms of how much of the population is vulnerable.”
As a result of this increase, many states are requiring masks, shutting down establishments, and tightening their overall social distancing restrictions.
Referenced Article:
Baker, D., Coppola, G., & Tobin, M. (2020, July 13). COVID-19 Reinvades U.S. States That Beat It Back Once. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-13/covid-19-reinvades-u-s-states-that-already-beat-it-back-once?utm_campaign=pol&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews
