In Texas, if the current trajectory of the case continues, Houston could be the most affected city in the US. USA With numbers that rival those of Brazil. The number of infections is also increasing in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine.
“Large metropolitan areas appear to be increasing very rapidly and some of the models are about to be apocalyptic,” Hotez told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
Models show Houston could have a four-fold increase in the number of daily cases by July 4, he said, adding that states must act to stop community broadcasting.
“That is really troubling and as those numbers increase, we are seeing proportional increases in the number of ICU hospitalizations and admissions,” he said. “You get to the point of overwhelming ICUs and that’s when mortality increases.”
Hotez is also a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology, and is working on a possible Covid-19 vaccine.
Governors issue pleas to residents
And while some politicians say the higher number of cases is due to increased testing, that is not the case, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
As new cases and hospitalizations skyrocket, Texas Governor Greg Abbott urged people to stay home.
In the nation’s most populous state, Governor Gavin Newsom pleaded with Californians to think of others wearing masks, keeping a safe distance, and washing their hands regularly.
He told residents to “love your neighbors, like yourselves, please” and urged younger people to be especially cautious.
“Be careful with mom and dad, and be careful with your mother-in-law, your father-in-law, your grandparents,” she said.
Miami implemented an order requiring face masks or covers in public this week.
“Going out in public without a mask is like drunk driving,” said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at George Washington University. “If you don’t hurt yourself. You can kill someone else.”
Some states are extending restrictions
Arizona is also seeing the highest number of new cases per capita of any state in the country. According to an analysis of data from CNN by Johns Hopkins University, it has had more new cases per capita than any other state besides New York or New Jersey.
The state has added about 2,700 new cases per day during the seven days that ended Tuesday. Adjusted for population, that’s about 38 new cases per 100,000 people per day.
In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards said he plans to issue a new proclamation on Thursday extending the Phase 2 restrictions under the current order for another 28 days.
“Simply put, we are headed in the wrong direction. We have more cases than we can justify just because they are doing more testing,” Edwards said.
Cases increase in at least 26 states
At least 26 states are seeing an increase in cases compared to the previous week, data from Johns Hopkins University show. Those states are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington , West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Texas has temporarily suspended alcohol permits for at least 12 bars that violated coronavirus protocols.
Jay Croft and CNN’s Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.
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