Nearly 53,000 cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States on Wednesday, creating a new one-day record for positive test results, as some states are quick to slow down or reverse reopening plans and some hospitals are dealing with an overwhelming flood of new patients.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US accounts for about a quarter of coronavirus cases worldwide and that the death toll in the nation exceeded 128,000 earlier this week.
As the number of cases reaches new heights daily, the number of people hospitalized with the virus has also increased dramatically in critical areas like Texas and Arizona.
In Texas, more than 6,500 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, far exceeding the number of people infected in hospital beds during April and May, which was consistently less than 2,000.
Arizona reported that 89% of its ICU beds were occupied as the state reported nearly 5,000 new cases as of Wednesday.
Also in California, hospitalizations have increased more than 40% from two weeks ago, Governor Gavin Newsom (D) responded with new restrictions: Closing of bars, indoor restaurants, movie theaters, zoos and museums in 19 counties.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also chose to delay plans to resume indoor dining in New York City, where many residents do not wear masks in public and do not adhere to calls for social distancing. The decision comes even when cases and hospitalizations have decreased significantly at the previous access point.
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