California Goes Back Under Lockdown

The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 3.3 million on Monday (July 13) as the nation’s death toll exceeded 135,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

For the fifth consecutive day, Florida reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections, and in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom closed indoor services in 30 counties at restaurants, pubs, cultural venues and movie theaters, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The resurgence of the virus in California has taken its toll on the Latino community. While Latinos comprise 39 percent of California’s population, 55 percent of all people infected with COVID-19 are Latinos, the California Department of Public Health told the Journal.

Especially hard-hit has been Florida where 12,343 new infections were reported on Sunday (July 12). That followed Saturday’s record number of more than 15,200 new cases, the newspaper reported.

Arizona, Texas and California reported near-record daily COVID-19 cases on Saturday (July 11). And the data isn’t much better in many other states across the country. Cases in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia surged by more than 20 percent in the past week, according to Johns Hopkins. 

While the Wisconsin Supreme Court limited the Democratic governor’s ability to declare statewide mandates or restrictions during the pandemic in May, municipal governments have issued orders of their own, The Journal reported. 

For example, residents of Wisconsin’s Dane County must wear masks in public indoor spaces. But in nearby Iowa County, masks are encouraged but not mandated.

The data reveals that many states, including Arkansas, California and Nevada, have reported an increased rate of positive coronavirus tests.

In South Carolina, 22.3 percent of coronavirus tests reported on Saturday were positive. That’s the highest positive rate amid a surge of cases over the past 30 days. 

One week ago, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo postponed meals served in dining rooms out of what he called “an abundance of caution and after seeing other states’ experiences with indoor dining.” 

“New York City is a crowded, dense urban area and, until recently, was the global epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis,” the Democratic governor said. New York City was one of the bright spots over the weekend, as the city logged its first 24-hour period without any reported coronavirus deaths.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the news was “so striking and so moving.” Still, he warned city residents against complacency given the rise in cases among younger people, especially those between 20 and 29 years old, the newspaper reported.