Alabama reported a record number of new cases for the fourth day in a row on Sunday. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Carolina all had record numbers of new cases in the past three days, according to a Reuters tally.
On Monday, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb warned that if states experiencing a spike in coronavirus cases fail to address the spread, local outbreaks could “quickly get out of control.” And that scenario appears to be coming to pass, according to CNBC News.
Arizona, Texas, and Florida are among those states experiencing confirmed spikes in COVID-19 cases as well as a spike in hospitalizations. And because there seems to be a great deal of complacency in practicing social distancing, leaders in New York and Texas are threatening renewed lockdown unless the public takes the threat of the virus seriously.
Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, in an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” said that recent data show the rate of infection has been level in eight states, increasing in 22 states and decreasing in the rest. The increase is not simply because of more widely available testing.
Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the special pathogens unit at Boston University School of Medicine, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the rise in the number of cases in the South and West suggests that “we opened too early in those states.”
Reuters notes that nationally, over 25,000 new cases were reported in the U.S. on Saturday, the highest tally for a Saturday since May 2. This is partly due to increased testing – however, health officials point out that the increase in the number of hospitalizations has nothing to do with testing, and that is a big concern.
Deaths versus the economy
The question arises again – How much is a human life worth? Most states and the federal government will not consider a renewed lockdown -period. Many states are already experiencing budget shortfalls and double-digit unemployment.
The Trump administration announced that it did not plan to back the extension of expanded unemployment insurance benefits beyond the end of July, concerned that workers may be opting to take the extra $600 a week rather than go back to work, reports the New York Times.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently said that by July 4, coronavirus deaths in the United States would likely reach 124,000 to 140,000, from the current total of about 116,000. The agency is pleading with the public to wear protective face masks and practice social distancing.
