(Reuters) – California reported a record surge of more than 11,800 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to a Reuters County data count, as the Trump administration pushes for schools to reopen to help businesses back to normal.
If California were a country, it would rank fifth in the world for a total of nearly 400,000 cases, behind the United States, Brazil, India, and Russia.
This is the first time that California reports more than 10,000 new infections since it set a record with 10,861 cases on July 14.
Florida has reported more than 10,000 new cases per day in the past six days in a row and Texas has reported more than 10,000 cases during five of the last seven days.
California’s daily increases have already exceeded the highest daily figure reported by any European country during the height of the pandemic there.
The largest outbreak in the state is in Los Angeles County, which has nearly 160,000 cases in total on Monday. Hospitals are filling up with COVID patients and Los Angeles reported a record number of coronavirus patients currently hospitalized for the second consecutive day on Monday.
To combat the pandemic, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is closing California again.
In addition to closing bars, he ordered restaurants, cinemas, zoos and museums to cease indoor operations. Gyms, churches, and beauty salons must close in the 30 most affected counties.
State prisons are releasing up to 8,000 inmates early to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus after large outbreaks at various correctional facilities.
California is home to both tech companies in Silicon Valley, the Hollywood Film Studios and Walt Disney Co’s Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
The entertainment company indefinitely suspended plans to reopen the California theme park, but reopened Disney World in Florida on July 11.
Report by Christine Chan in New York; Written by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Daniel Wallis
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