US reports more than 51,842 new coronavirus cases on Friday. This is the third straight day with a record of more than 50,000 cases.
California, Arizona, Texas and Florida reported new cases this week. Florida had about 9,500 new cases on Friday while Texas posted 7,555 additional cases.
Florida's average of new cases is 7,870, according to CNN's analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, California and Texas are near that mark.
"There's nothing more American than making a sacrifice by staying home to keep a family member safe, a neighbor safe or a stranger safe," Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told CNN.
Almost two dozen states delayed their reopenings to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Others implemented special measures to keep it out of their borders.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut released a travel advisory which requires people to quarantine for two weeks after arrival from eight states with high coronavirus cases.
However, some state leaders blamed the increase in testing for the surge in coronavirus cases.
"What we're seeing now in the Southwest is a surge in both the number of positive cases and the percentage of people testing who are positive," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a CNN medical analyst and professor of medicine at George Washington University.
"If you turn your back on the virus, if you turn your back on science, it's going to bite you," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the former director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He said that a single measure would not address the spread of the virus.
"Whether it's restricting travel or staying home or testing a lot of people or wearing a mask. And those are all important, but none of them, in and of themselves are going to control this," he said.
Effectiveness of mask wearing
When crowds started to emerge at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Mayor Brenda Bethune said officials were making an effort to tell the public to wear masks.
"People spread this virus and we can't stop people from coming here but we all have personal responsibility in helping to prevent the spread of this virus," Bethune told CNN's Jim Acosta.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls for a federal mandate on wearing masks through the CDC amid a rise in coronavirus cases.
A study published in the medical journal The Lancet suggests that social distancing and wearing of masks found effective in reducing COVID-19 risk. Findings revealed that people must stay at least three feet apart and more if possible.
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs supports a national mask mandate to save economy. The firm said it could reduce coronavirus cases and save a 5% GDP hit due to lockdowns.
However, while claiming being “all for masks,” President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty with a national mandate for wearing masks.
“I don’t know if you need mandatory,” Trump said when asked in a Fox Business Network interview if he would support a national order for people to wear masks in public.
“You have many places in the country where people stay very long distance,” Trump noted.
“But I’m all for masks, I think masks are good,” the president said, adding that he has been seen wearing one in situations where he was in a group of people.
