The United States reported more than 34,400 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to a CNBC analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University, after health officials in California, Florida and Texas reported record single-day spikes.
As of Wednesday, the seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases in the country was 31,172. This number has increased more than 34% compared to a week ago, based on analysis of the Johns Hopkins data. Cases are growing by 5% or more in 31 U.S. states, including Arizona, Florida, Texas, and California.
Twelve states hit record levels in new cases daily on Wednesday based on their seven-day average, according to the analysis. They include Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Florida. Arizona also hit a record averaging new daily deaths with a seven-day average of nearly 31 new lives lost.
Coronavirus hospitalizations, such as new cases and deaths, are an important measure of the outbreak as it helps health officials assess how severe it can be.
Covid-19 hospitalizations are also increasing in 16 states as of Wednesday, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by the Covid Monitoring Project.
Some states are reaching new highs every week as the number of cases continues to rise at an alarming rate. While some of these increases can be attributed to increases in testing, Covid-19 hospitalizations have also grown substantially.
The California Department of Public Health reported its second record jump in coronavirus cases on Wednesday, adding 7,149 new cases. The previous highest peak in daily new cases was 5,019, reported Tuesday by the state health department.
“We cannot continue doing what we have done in the last few weeks. It is understandable that many of us developed a little fever in the cabin, some would say they developed a little amnesia, others have frankly let down their guard,” said the governor of California Gavin Newsom. he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
As of June 24, the state is seeing a seven-day average of nearly 4,732 new cases daily, according to Johns Hopkins data. This number has increased by more than 43% compared to a week ago.
Approximately 4,814 people are hospitalized in California according to a seven-day moving average, which is almost a 9% increase compared to a week ago, according to data from the Covid Monitoring Project.
While Newsom said the state administered a record number of tests, nearly 96,000 in the past 24 hours, the positivity rate for these tests has increased slightly in the past two weeks, standing at 5.1% over a 14-day average.
Florida health officials also reported another record one-day increase in coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The state Department of Health added 5,508 new cases, bringing the total to 109,014. The previous record jump for a single day in new cases was 4,094 reported on Saturday by the state.
As of Wednesday, Florida is seeing a seven-day average of 3,756 new cases, up 71% from a week ago, according to Johns Hopkins.
In addition to the increase in cases, the percentage of positive test results is also growing, indicating that the increase is not due to increased testing. The state health department reported that 15.91% of all tests tested positive on Wednesday, up from 10.82% the previous day.
While Florida has been reporting an increase in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 for the past few weeks, Governor Ron DeSantis said last week that the state would no longer implement more restrictions to mitigate the spread of the virus. However, on Thursday he said the state had no plans to ease additional restrictions.
On Wednesday, Texas health officials said they added 5,551 new cases, setting a record high single-day increase in coronavirus cases. The previous highest peak in new daily cases was 5,489 reported Tuesday by the state health department.
Texas has an average of 4,347 new cases per day in the past seven days, representing an 80% increase from a week ago, according to Johns Hopkins data.
In an interview with KBTX television station in San Antonio on Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott urged residents to wear a mask and practice social distancing to prevent infection.
“The hospitalization rate is at its highest point. The coronavirus is spreading in Brazos County and throughout the state of Texas, which is why action is being taken,” he said. “The safest place for you is your home.”
Then on Thursday, Abbott paused on state reopening plans and ordered hospital officials in four affected counties to stop elective surgeries.
There are 3,563 people hospitalized in Texas based on a seven-day moving average, which is almost a 53% increase compared to a week ago, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project.
– CNBC’s Nate Rattner, Nick wells, William Feuer and Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report.
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