US breaks April record with more than 45,500 new Covid-19 diagnoses, hitting highest single day of new coronavirus cases.
A tally by NBC News confirmed that Wednesday’s cases exceeded the previous highest daily count from April 26, when the first peak of the pandemic hit the US, by more than 9,000 cases.
The World Health Organization announced its single-day record on Sunday, with more than 183,000 new cases around the world.
According to health experts, the resurgence in cases in Southern and Western states may have been sparked by Memorial Day, when authorities started relaxing coronavirus lockdowns and reopening businesses.
The Northeast saw decreases in cases as officials urged social distancing and wearing masks.
Visitors who travel from US hot spots who arrive in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will have to undergo quarantine for two weeks, according to their respective governors.
Several states find it difficult to manage the virus after having prematurely relaxed restrictions. Meanwhile, hospitals are becoming filled by patients.
Florida reported more than 109,000 cases, but the available capacity for adult intensive care units is just 21 percent, according to state data updated Wednesday. Only 12 percent of Arizona’s ICU beds remain available, the state health department said Tuesday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, commended California’s response and compared the battle against the coronavirus to a social justice crusade.
“Californians have risen to the occasion on social issues so well in the past, you’ve been the leaders in the country on those things,” Fauci said.
“This is an issue that really has social responsibility associated with it,” he noted.
California also hit its biggest single-day record of new cases Wednesday. New 7,149 reported cases made the state’s total of confirmed cases 190,222.
Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Californians on Wednesday to continue covering their faces.
“You’re not invincible from COVID-19,” Newsom said. “Quite the contrary. This is a disease that easily spreads, very easily spreads.”
Not yet
Despite the increasing number of coronavirus cases, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow says there is no second wave of coronavirus coming. For him, it is “just hotspots.”
“There is no second wave coming,” said Kudlow. “It’s just hot spots. They send in CDC teams, we’ve got the testing procedures, we’ve got the diagnostics, we’ve got the PPE. And so I really think it’s a pretty good situation.”
“Actually, I think nationwide the positivity rate is still quite low, well under 10%.”
Meanwhile, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro CNN said the administration is gearing up for a comeback in the disease.
“We are filling the stockpile in anticipation of a possible problem in the fall. We are doing everything we can beneath the surface, working as hard as we possibly can,″ Navarro told CNN. “You prepare — you prepare for what can possibly happen. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but of course you prepare.”
The World Health Organization says coronavirus in the US had not peaked yet. it is only experiencing sustained community transmission.
“And as such, the journey for them is, unfortunately, the pandemic for many countries in the Americas has not peaked,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s emergencies program, during a press conference at the agency’s Geneva headquarters.
Several analysts say that there will no longer be a full lockdown of the global economy amidst the resurgence of new coronavirus cases.
Suresh Tantia, senior investment strategist at Credit Suisse’s APAC CIO office, explained that the situation is unlikely to return to its condition in March.
“The second wave of virus is a concern for investors… but I think the key difference is that unlike last time in March, this time it’s highly unlikely that we would see a shutdown of the global economy,” he said.
