Ten states reported a record increase in new cases on Thursday (representation)
U.S. cases of the new coronavirus topped 8 million on Thursday, increasing by 1 million in less than a month, as a further increase in cases hits the country at the start of cooler weather.
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 217,000 people have died in the United States.
The United States reported 60,000 new infections on Wednesday, the highest since Aug. 14, with an increase in cases in all regions, especially in the Midwest.
Health experts have long warned that colder temperatures pushing people indoors could help the virus spread. They haven’t identified the reason for the rise, but point to fatigue with COVID-19 precautions and students returning to schools and colleges.
According to a Reuters analysis, 25 states have so far set records for an increase in the number of new cases in October.
All of the Midwestern and Northeastern states have reported more cases in the past four weeks than in the previous four weeks, with the number of new cases doubling in states like Wisconsin, South Dakota and New Hampshire.
In the Midwest, daily new cases hit a record Wednesday with more than 22,000 new infections. The rate of positive tests exceeds 30% in South Dakota and 20% in Idaho and Wisconsin.
Ten states reported a record increase in new cases on Thursday, including Wisconsin with 4,000 new cases. “Our numbers are high and they are growing rapidly,” Secretary of State-designate for Health Andrea Palm said at a press conference.
“We have now passed the 1,000 COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized. In some areas of our state, our intensive care beds are 90% or more full. Over the past six weeks, our average daily deaths have more than tripled. Palm added.
California remains the state with the most cases, followed by Texas, Florida, New York and Georgia. These five states account for more than 40% of all reported COVID-19 cases in the country.
With both cases and positive test rates rising in recent weeks, New York City has closed businesses and schools in neighborhood hot spots despite protests from a small contingent of Orthodox Jews.
In addition to the increase in cases, hospitals in several states are struggling to manage an influx of patients.
In the Midwest, hospitalizations related to COVID-19 hit a record for a tenth consecutive day on Wednesday. Nationally, the United States has reported nearly 37,000 hospitalizations, the highest since August 28.
Wisconsin, which reported a record hospitalization on Wednesday, opened a field hospital outside of Milwaukee to treat patients with COVID-19.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
