Home ›› 28 Jun 2020 ›› World Biz
Coronavirus infections across the United States have passed 2.5 million, with record numbers of cases reported in the states of Florida and Texas.
The surge in cases in southern states comes after businesses were allowed to re-open in recent weeks.
On Saturday morning, Florida reported more than 9,500 new cases, up from almost 9,000 on Friday, the previous record. The state reported 9,585 coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. It has set records for new cases almost daily since mid-June.
The total number of cases in Florida so far is over 132,000. More than 3,300 people with Covid-19 have died.
Many other southern and western states have reported record spikes as they moved to re-open and people from other areas poured in in recent weeks.
Last week, Texas, Florida and Arizona put re-opening plans on pause in an effort to tackle the outbreak.
But on Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis imposed new restrictions, ordering bars in the state to stop serving alcohol on their premises - although it was not clear how the new measures would affect restaurants, the Miami Herald reported.
The spike has led state officials to tighten restrictions on business again - as Texas also did on Friday.
The leading US government adviser on coronavirus, Dr Anthony Fauci, said last week that the country had a "serious problem".
More than 125,000 Covid-19 patients have died nationwide - more than in any other country.
Speaking at the first White House coronavirus task force briefing in two months, Dr Fauci said on Friday that the current rises were due to regions "may be opening a little bit too early" and to people themselves not following guidance.
"People are infecting other people, and then ultimately you will infect someone who's vulnerable," he said.
(Source: BBC)
