US states face surge of new coronavirus cases and hospitalized patients

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Several US states are faced with rising threats of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as reopening efforts continue to push through.
• While expanded testing contributed to the rise of new coronavirus cases, health officials did not associate it with the surge of hospitalizations.
• Amid spike of cases in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Donald Trump still plans to proceed with his campaign rally next week — even requiring attendees to forego their rights of holding the campaign accountable should they contract COVID-19 in the event.

Several US states are again faced with new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations which include Florida and Texas amid continuous reopening efforts. President Donald Trump even plans to hold an indoor presidential rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

On Saturday, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina announced a record number of new cases for three days in a row. State health officials cited the holiday gatherings during the Memorial Day weekend in late May as the likely reason of the surge.

Moreover, Oklahoma reported record new cases for two days in a row while Alaska also posted new cases again for the first time since weeks.

Both Arizona and Nevada also recorded new cases.

New cases also rise in Louisiana, recording over 1,200 new cases which is the highest since May 21.

There were over 25,000 new cases reported on Saturday nationwide. It was the highest tally for Saturday since May, with expanded testing as one of the indications for getting increasing new cases again. However, health officials have also observed a surge of hospitalizations which is not associated to mass testing.

On Saturday, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and Utah gained a record number of hospital admissions. In South Carolina, occupied hospital beds climbed from 69% to 77%.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert said last week that that most of the states would stop its reopening, yet no state followed as budget crisis and double-digit unemployment surface.

Health officials continued to appeal to the public to always practice wearing of masks and refrain from gathering in large groups.

Amid surge of new cases, Trump still wants to proceed with his rally next week in Tulsa, but attendees are required to sign an online waiver to state that the campaign is not liable for any COVID-19 infection that could spread during the rally.

According to state data, around one-third of record new cases came from Tulsa County. The Tulsa Health Department said on Friday that the surge was linked to indoor gatherings. Hospitalizations and percentage rates of positive cases continue to thrive in the state.

Tulsa’s department executive director Bruce Dart said: “I have concerns about large groups of people gathering indoors for prolonged lengths of time. It is imperative that anyone who chooses to host or attend a gathering take the steps to stay safe.” 

Source: AOL.com