The United States has revised the grim milestone of recording more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, while infections and hospitalizations are on the rise in many states, forcing President Donald Trump to acknowledge that the crisis could worsen.
More than 142,000 people in the country have died from the disease caused by the new coronavirus, a number that according to public health experts is likely to increase in several states. Florida, Texas, Georgia, and California are among the 40 states with the most cases.
Florida reported 9,785 new cases and 140 new deaths Wednesday, while currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients reached a record 9,530. Alabama reported a record 61 new deaths Wednesday, the day after hospitalizations hit a record.
Police officers on the street imposing a curfew at 8 p.m., established in Miami due to the increasing number of cases of coronavirus disease in Florida [Liza Feria/Reuters]
Nineteen states have reported a record number of COVID patients currently hospitalized so far in July. Thirty-two states reported a record increase in cases in July and 16 states reported a record increase in deaths during the month.
The U.S. government has moved to secure 100 million doses of the vaccine, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said on Wednesday.
The government will pay $ 1.95 billion to buy the doses of Pfizer Inc and the COVID-19 vaccine candidate from German biotech firm BioNTech SE if they can successfully develop one, the companies said.
Pfizer said it would not receive any money from the government unless the vaccine is considered safe and effective and is successfully manufactured.
Trump, who downplayed the scope of the health crisis and the importance of covering his face, changed his tune on Tuesday and encouraged Americans to wear a mask if they cannot maintain social distance.
Trump also said that the spread of the virus “will unfortunately probably get worse before it gets better, something I don’t like to say about things, but that’s the way it is.”
United States President Donald Trump speaking at a press conference at the White House in Washington, USA. [Leah Millis/Reuters]
Mandatory wearing of masks, which health officials say may delay the spread of the virus, is a political problem among Americans, and many conservatives call those rules a violation of their constitutional rights.
Coronavirus infections are on the rise in some politically important states, such as Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Republican Trump is following Democratic candidate Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
A Reuters / Ipsos poll from July 15 to 21 showed that only 38 percent of the public supports Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including 20 percent of voters undecided or registered by third parties.
SOURCE:
Reuters news agency
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