- The US coronavirus outbreak has accelerated at a record pace ahead of the hectic weekend of July 4.
- The United States set records for new daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday and Thursday, and case numbers are increasing in 40 states.
- Experts fear that, like on Memorial Day weekend in May, people will gather, challenge health guidelines and facilitate the spread of the virus.
- “The most patriotic thing you can do this year is stay home,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, the chief health officer for Sacramento County in California.
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The coronavirus is emerging in 40 of the 50 U.S. states, and experts fear that the July 4 holiday celebrations will make it even worse.
On Thursday, more than 55,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States. It set another daily high, beating the record 50,000 cases reported the previous day.
The Associated Press also reported Thursday that 40 of the 50 states were trending in terms of new daily cases.
Heath officials say the increase is caused by people who refuse to wear masks and choose not to comply with social distancing orders.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the United States, said the country “would be in serious trouble” if people did not start to follow government advice, according to the AP.
Every year on the weekend of July 4, millions of Americans head to beaches and parks to celebrate.
But due to the threat posed by the virus, some officials in major beach states, including California and Florida, have moved early to close public beaches. Many of them had reopened in June after weeks of confinement.
A couple in masks stamped with the American flag at Coney Island in New York City on May 25.
John Lamparski / Getty Images
An increase in coronavirus cases seen in early June was attributed to people celebrating the Memorial Day weekend, and officials are eager not to repeat the event.
“Our numbers are through the roof,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the public health official in California’s Riverside County, told the New York Times.
“We started seeing more and more cases after Memorial Day, and we can’t afford another jump after July 4.”
Dr. Peter Beilenson, director of the Sacramento County Department of Health Services, also told The Times: “The most patriotic thing you can do this year is stay home.”
Joshua Barocas, an infectious disease expert at Boston Medical Center, said earlier this week that the peak time and impending vacation “caused a perfect storm,” according to The Guardian.
“The combination of travel, the combination of reopening, perhaps in some cases too early, and the combination of people who do not necessarily follow some of these preventive guidelines.”
Children celebrating the 4th of July party.
Ariel Skelley / Getty Images
In Washington, DC, President Donald Trump is stirring enthusiasm for the July 4 fireworks display to be held in the city.
City Mayor Muriel Bowser said the event contravened government guidelines for mass gatherings.
“Ask yourself, do you need to be there?” Bowser said. “Do you know if you will be able to social distance?”
As of Wednesday, the United States, whose citizens account for 4% of the world’s population, accounted for 25% of its known cases of coronavirus, CNN reported.
