The U.S. recorded more than 50,000 new
coronavirus cases for a third consecutive day as infections surged on the eve
of the Fourth of July weekend.
The holiday has sparked worry for many public
officials. Leaders across the country have urged people to use caution in their
Independence Day celebrations, with many fireworks displays virtual or canceled
completely.
The nation added 52,104 cases Friday,
according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, bringing the total to
almost 2.8 million cases. Confirmed cases neared 11.1 million world-wide, with
more than 525,000 deaths.
Florida, Texas, California and Arizona were
among the hardest hit states, while a number of other states set records for
new daily cases.
President Trump on Friday visited Mount Rushmore
for an event and fireworks display—attracting thousands of attendees with
little social distancing and few masks —before heading back to the capital for
Saturday’s celebrations.
Ahead of the Mount Rushmore event, Kimberly
Guilfoyle, a top campaign aide and the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., tested
positive for the virus in South Dakota, said a person familiar with the events.
Mr. Trump Jr., who tested negative, and Ms. Guilfoyle didn’t travel with the
president to the state and weren’t with him before the festivities. The couple,
who had been headlining fundraisers in the region, were expected to drive back
to the East Coast to avoid contact with others.
The Florida health department reported nearly
9,500 new cases Friday, after the state passed the 10,000 mark—setting a
record—a day earlier.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez
ordered a countywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Friday, and said it
would be effective until further notice. He also ordered entertainment venues,
including movie theaters and casinos, to close again after reopening in May.
“The curfew is meant to stop people from
venturing out and hanging out with friends in groups, which has shown to be
spreading the virus rapidly,” the mayor said in a statement.
The resurgence of coronavirus cases as the
nation reopens has led to many last-minute changes or cancellations of
festivities.
“As we begin the holiday weekend, please
remember to celebrate responsibly,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper wrote on
Twitter Friday.
In New York, the annual Macy’s Inc. fireworks
show was taking place as five-minute displays throughout the week in
unannounced locations to prevent viewers from congregating.
Los
Angeles County, which has the most cases in the country according to Johns
Hopkins, has canceled Fourth of July fireworks, but the city of Lancaster plans
to go ahead with its fireworks celebration.
“This is America. This is our birthday, and
it is the worst year that we have ever experienced,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris,
adding that event staff would have to wear masks and keep their distance.
Labor Department data released this week
showed unemployment fell and the U.S. economy regained 4.8 million jobs in
June, but the recent surge in coronavirus infections could throw the recovery
off course. Mr. Trump on Saturday signed into law a bill extending the timeline
for small businesses to apply for forgivable loans. The bill extending the
Paycheck Protection Program passed the House and the Senate this week.
India, one of the worst-hit nations in the
world, on Saturday reported a single-day record of 22,771 new cases, bringing
the nation’s total to 648,315, data from the country’s Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare showed. India’s death toll stands at 18,655, including 442 in
the preceding 24 hours.
New Delhi’s broader strategy to contain the
virus has been enforcement of strict lockdown measures in areas with high
caseloads, enhanced testing and isolation of positive patients. However, cases
continue to rise, straining an overwhelmed health-care system.
As precautionary measures, the country
continues to have restrictions on large gatherings, and hasn’t resumed metro
rail, international flights, schools and colleges yet.
In Australia, the southern state of Victoria
reported 108 new cases Saturday—its second-highest daily increase and biggest
jump since late March. The growing number of infections has led to officials
urging residents in designated “hot zones” to stay at home, while nine
government-housing estates in the capital Melbourne were formally locked down
Saturday.
It will last for at least five days to allow
testing of about 3,000 residents, who will be required to stay inside their
homes for the duration of the lockdown.
Japan’s total infections surpassed 20,000 on
Saturday, after Tokyo reported 131 new cases, Kyodo News reported.
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