The US is approaching 5 million cases of coronavirus – and as experts have previously pointed out, the true number of infections could be many times higher.
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – AUGUST 07: Medical staff train to receive Covid-129 patients at the Austin Convention Center on August 07, 2020 in Austin, Texas. The cavernous facility was prepared for use as a field hospital for Covid-19 patients, as Austin hospitals are overcome. In recent weeks, however, Texas has seen the number of new Covid-19 hospitalizations decline, even as pandemic-related deaths remain high. (Photo by John Moore / Getty Images)
The number means that the country contains about a quarter of the worldwide cases of the virus and also tops the list of the most reported deaths in the world. More than 162,000 Americans have died.
The pandemic shows no sign of delay, and health officials have encouraged the use of face masks in public places and pleaded with residents to prevent social gatherings until the spread is under control.
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As of this week, five states are responsible for more than 40% of U.S. infections: California (with the most cases in the country), Florida, Texas, New York and Georgia.
New York, once the epicenter of the country, has been overrun by several states that have seen spikes in recent months. The state now reports a positivity rate – how many people tested positive compared to how many were tested – of about 0.93%, according to the governor’s office.
“Despite rising infection rates across the country and in our region, we continue to see our numbers kept low, thanks in large part to the hard work of New Yorkers to change their behavior and our data-driven, phased reopening,” Gov. . Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Saturday.
California, which on Saturday reported more than 7,000 cases for a total of more than 545,000, had the positive of 6% in the past two weeks, according to health officials. Hospitalizations throughout the state are declining, and there are about 5,746 hospital patients – more than 1,000 down from two weeks ago.
In Texas, the governor extended his declaration of disasters because the state counted its highest seven-day positivity: 19.41%. The previous high, 17.43%, was recorded around mid-July. More than 481,000 infections have been reported statewide and about 7,872 people remain in hospitals.
Thousands gather in small town in South Dakota
While the virus is rampant through many American communities, visitors to a town in South Dakota have flocked to the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The state has so far recorded one of the lowest number of cases with about 9,477 infections, according to the state’s health department.
The event, hosted in the city of about 7,000, brings in hundreds of thousands of people each year. While officials say this year is a scaled-down version, people are still expected from across the country – including hotspots such as Florida, Texas and Arizona.
There will be concerts, races and competitions on nearby campsites. City officials say they have recommended social distance guidelines and capacity limits for bars and restaurants, but none of that is legally enforced, City Manager Daniel Ainslie told CNN.
Dr Carlos del Rio, a professor of infectious disease at Emory University, does not worry about the rally itself, as he will mostly be outside, he said. Instead, he said he was worried about what would happen after hours, when people would go to restaurants, bars and gather indoors.
“I am very worried that this event could potentially be a disaster,” he said. “Not only could there be a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people could get infected there and return to their home states and take over the virus there.”
The event runs through August 16th.
Coronavirus: Your questions, answered
Schools are starting to welcome students back
As schools reopen to classes, researchers are still working to understand the spread and effects of the virus when it comes to children.
Research has shown that older children can transmit coronavirus just like adults, and another study said that children under 5 have a higher viral load of the virus in their nose compared to older children and adults, and also raise questions about how likely they are are to transmit the virus.
While some U.S. officials have said that an infection poses less risk to younger populations, a 7-year-old boy who died without underlying health conditions died last week in Georgia, becoming the youngest victim in the state. Earlier this month, two teenagers in Florida died of coronavirus complications, bringing the total number of minors in the state who died in relation to the virus to seven.
With a positivity rate of less than 1%, New York has wiped out all school districts in the state to reopen, Cuomo said Friday, adding that plans could change as infection rates begin to pick up ahead of schedule.
In Georgia, many schools have already reopened.
At least 260 students and eight teachers in the Cherokee County School District were quarantined after multiple students and teachers tested positive for the virus during the first week of school. In a statement on its website, the borough, located north of the city of Atlanta, reported positive cases in at least 11 students and two staff members. Among them was a second-grader who tested positive for the virus after the first day of school.
Northeast of Atlanta, Barrow County Schools announced that the district would begin the year just after more than 90 staff members were forced to quarantine because they had a confirmed or suspected case of the virus, or were exposed to someone who ‘. t die.
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