California reports a record daily increase in coronavirus cases as it becomes the hardest hit state in the U.S.

California reported more than 12,800 cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest reported daily number the state has yet recorded, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday.

California has now overtaken New York in total confirmed Covid-19 cases, more than 409,500 cases as of Wednesday, making it the state with the most cases in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. However, New York has reported more than four times the number of deaths, according to Hopkins.

“We are one state, again, the size of 21 states combined, so it is not surprising now in some respects as we have begun to reopen key sectors of our economy,” Newsom said at a press conference on Wednesday. “People continue to mix and people continue to be in close contact with other people who may have contracted this disease and our numbers would begin to increase in total now.”

Newsom said the state has an average of 9,420 additional cases based on a seven-day average, a trend line that “certainly” continues to rise. California also reported 115 new deaths Tuesday, but that number has fluctuated daily, he said.

While the state has increased its tests, the positivity rate, or the number of cases positive to the total tests performed, now stands at around 7.4% in the past 14 days, a number that “continues to increase modestly.” . The state has been adding more health care personnel, contact trackers and personal protective equipment for months to help combat a possible outbreak, he said.

Newsom has already made major setbacks to California’s reopening plan, ordering the closure of all bars and all restaurants, cinemas, museums, and other interior businesses across the state.

In addition to the state order, Newsom also ordered the closure of indoor operations for gyms, worship services, personal care services, shopping malls, offices, beauty salons, and hair salons for all counties that have been on the watch list. from California for three or more consecutive days. .

San Francisco County was added to the list last week, joining other populated counties such as Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. Newsom said there are now 35 of the state’s 58 counties on the list, which measures the level of virus transmission, hospitalizations and hospital capacity.

“What I’m afraid of is complacency,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said during a press conference on Friday. “People are tired of the virus, but the virus is not tired of us.”