WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After days of record spikes in new COVID-19 cases and hospitals warning that they could run out of beds, President Donald Trump’s White House tried Thursday to convey that all was well in the battle against the coronavirus and touted efforts to get the US economy moving again.
United States President Donald Trump speaks during the “Spirit of America Showcase” event in the Great Hall of the White House in Washington, USA, on July 2, 2020. REUTERS / Tom Brenner
Florida on Thursday reported more than 10,000 new cases of coronavirus, the largest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic began. That followed a rise in the number of cases across the country to nearly 50,000 on Wednesday, the fourth record increase in infections in the past seven days.
The United States has reported more than 128,000 coronavirus-related deaths, nearly a quarter of the world total.
The growing number of cases follows movements in many states to allow companies to lift tight closings, which has fueled job growth but also appears to have accelerated the spread of the virus as people returned to restaurants, bars, and businesses. retailers.
As the wave of new cases accelerates, some states have paused or curtailed their reopens, as they close beaches and cancel fireworks displays over the coming weekend of United States Independence Day.
Still, a Labor Department report released Thursday showed that the reopening window had a dramatic impact on hiring, with the United States creating jobs at a record time in June.
“Today’s announcement shows that our economy is rebounding,” Trump told reporters at the White House, while promoting his administration’s efforts to beat the virus as “something historic.”
The data showing a gain of 4.8 million jobs does not reflect that the governors of the states most affected by new infections have stopped or reversed movements to reopen in recent days.
The latest batch of high-frequency data gathered by Federal Reserve officials, economists, cell phone tracking companies, and employee time management companies suggests that economic activity stagnated in recent days.
“More than ever, we are concerned about the worsening health situation and its impact on the burgeoning recovery. Recovery of mobility and misuse of protective gear will be a dangerous summer cocktail, “wrote Oxford Economics analyst Gregory Daco.
‘ACT. LEAD. OR LEAVE THE ROAD ‘
Employment remains 14.7 million jobs below pre-pandemic levels.
A strong economy is an important element of Trump’s campaign for re-election in November. Joe Biden, his long-awaited Democratic opponent, criticized Trump’s comments Thursday.
“Stop claiming victory with nearly 15 million Americans still out of work because of the crisis. Stop ignoring the reality of this pandemic and the horrible loss of American lives, “Biden said in a speech.” Act. Lead. Or get out of the way for others to do, Mr. President.
Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who attended a Trump rally last month in Tulsa, Oklahoma, despite warnings of health risks, has been hospitalized with COVID-19, according to his Twitter account. The statement did not say where he was infected.
Eight advanced campaign staff members who were in Tulsa for the June 20 rally tested positive for the virus.
When asked if the White House regretted encouraging states to reopen quickly, and if the measure had failed, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: “Absolutely not … There is a sure way to reopen the economy and we are going to do it. carefully”.
Several states have reported record increases in new cases in the past week, including Arizona, Alaska, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas.
Parts of Texas and Arizona are running out of available intensive care hospital beds, authorities said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom closed bars on Wednesday, banned eating indoors and imposed other restrictions on 19 counties, including Los Angeles, which affects more than 70% of the most populous state in the United States.
United States Vice President Mike Pence, who was due to visit Florida on Thursday, said he and Trump supported the governors who are pausing the reopens. But he said he did not see the need for a national mandate for people to wear masks, which public health officials see as an easy way to significantly decrease transmission of the virus.
Conservatives have generally been less willing to wear masks or follow other restrictions imposed by local authorities to stop the spread of the virus, as the issue has become increasingly politicized.
Kansas on Thursday followed several other states by requiring facial coatings, most recently Indiana. Kansas had a 46.1% increase in coronavirus infections last week.
“Wearing a mask is a simple and effective way to keep Kansans healthy and keep Kansas open for business,” Gov. Laura Kelly, Democrat, said in a statement.
Reports by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Alexandra Aleper, Lisa Lambert, Doina Chiacu, Timothy Ahmann, Lisa Shumaker; Written by Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Bill Berkrot
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