Seven states hit record COVID hospitalizations: Texas tells residents to stay home, California and Arizona set new one-day highs while Florida and New Jersey vow to crack down on BARS as infections surge across the U.S.
A spike in coronavirus cases across several states is fueling fears of a second wave of the deadly virus, with Texas now urging residents to stay home, states including Florida and New Jersey vowing to crack down on bars and California recording its worst day on record for new cases.
Seven states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas are recording their highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic first started ravaging the nation.
California has reached a record-high of more than 5,000 positive coronavirus tests in a single day, as cases surge among the San Quentin prison population and officials say a 'superspreader' infected at least 12 people at a large family gathering.
Texas, which was one of the first states to start reopening back in April, has also reached an all-time high of new cases leading Republican Governor Greg Abbott to backpedal on efforts to get back to business as usual and tell people not to leave the house unless they need to.
In Florida, where new cases surged 87 percent last week, Governor Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday he will be cracking down on bars and restaurants that flout social distancing guidelines, after reports of large parties across the state.
A similar hard line is being adopted in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said Monday, in response to images circulated on social media which showed large crowds gathering at newly reopened bars and restaurants.
Experts are warning that the nationwide increase in infections is largely coming from a spike in cases among young people who are ignoring social distancing measures and testing positive for the virus.
CALIFORNIA: Beach-goers enjoy a nice summer day at Corona Del Mar State Beach in California Monday. Fears are mounting that the state could be on track for a 'second wave' of the killer virus as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations steadily climbs while lockdown rules continue to ease
FLORIDA: Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday bars and restaurants found to be breaking the state's social distancing and capacity guidelines could lose their alcohol licenses. Pictured Lynch's Irish Pub where several revellers tested positive for the virus after going to the bar
NEW JERSEY: Governor Phil Murphy said he will clamp down on reopened bars and restaurants in response to images circulated on social media which showed large crowds gathering at newly reopened bars and restaurants. The D'Jais Bar and Grill in Belmar Saturday
TEXAS: Hospitalizations in Texas soared to record levels sparking fears of a second wave
ARIZONA: Arizona reported a record 3,591 new infections on Monday
Stark data revealed Tuesday that Arizona, Arkansas, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have all reached all-time highs in hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
Arizona, Nevada and Missouri also reached record highs in new daily cases of the virus and nationwide the US marked its first increase in daily deaths since June 7 with more than 800 Americans killed by the virus, the shocking report from The Washington Post found.
A staggering 33 states and US territories recorded a higher rolling average of new cases this week than the week before, with the virus spreading across the South and West.
California recorded its highest number of daily new COVID-19 cases throughout the entire pandemic Monday, with 5,019 infections in just 24 hours.
The concerning tally of new infections soared past the previous record of 4,515 recorded on Saturday and has taken the US's second hardest-hit state up to 183,073 total infections.
Fears are mounting that the state could be on track for a 'second wave' of the killer virus as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations steadily climbs while lockdown rules continue to ease.
California has reached a new high in the number of hospitalizations, with 3,868 hospitalized patients Monday, of which 1,225 were in intensive care.
Another 65 Californians were also killed by the virus Monday, taking the death toll to 5,580.
Texas, which was one of the first states to start reopening back in April, has also reached an all-time high of new cases leading Republican Governor Greg Abbott (pictured) to backpedal on efforts to get back to business as usual
The United States saw a 25 percent increase in new cases in the last week compared to the previous seven days with Arizona, Florida and Texas experiencing record surges in new infections
Los Angeles County continues to be the hardest-hit region, with more than 2,000 new infections recorded for the third time in the last week alone.
Another 2,542 people tested positive for the virus Monday, soaring higher than the previous record day of 2,115 new confirmed cases on Wednesday and taking the total number of cases to 85,925.
San Diego County has also beaten its own records in recent days, with more than 300 new cases confirmed for the second day in a row Monday, after a historic high of 310 Sunday.
The surge in cases across the state comes amid reports that cases are growing among the San Quentin prison population in Marin County, around a month after multiple inmates were moved there from the highly-infected California Institution of Men in Chino facility.
As of Monday afternoon, 342 inmates at San Quentin have tested positive for the deadly virus, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation COVID-19 tracker.
California recorded its highest number of daily new COVID-19 cases throughout the entire pandemic Monday, with 5,019 infections in just 24 hours
People flocked to beaches in line with the state's reopening. California has reached a new high in the number of hospitalizations, with 3,868 hospitalized patients Monday, of which 1,225 were in intensive care
The scale of the outbreak is sparking concerns, after the figures skyrocketed in the last two weeks, with only about two dozen cases recorded just a fortnight ago.
No cases at all had been recorded in the prison until inmates were moved from Chino late May.
The inmates were moved because Chino was grappling with a major outbreak so as 'to reduce density in living quarters and protect our most vulnerable population,' the CDCR said.
Inmates were tested for coronavirus before being transferred, but some then tested positive after arriving at San Quentin, SF Gate reported.
However, a federal judge blasted the move of inmates between the two prisons a 'significant failure of policy and planning'.
US District Judge Jon Tigar of Oakland said during a court hearing Friday that prison officials should transfer vulnerable prisoners to a new facility or release some inmates early in desperate efforts to save their lives as the outbreak ramps up.
Cases are growing among the San Quentin prison population in Marin County (pictured), around a month after multiple inmates were moved there from the highly-infected California Institution of Men in Chino facility
California Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured) has not ruled out putting the state back into lockdown if cases continue to soar
Prisons have long been hotbeds for the virus since it first touched down on US soil, as a large volume of people in cramped environments creates the perfect condition for the infection to spread.
Officials have also traced a new outbreak in Shasta County back to a man who defied social distancing guidelines to attend a 'large family gathering' where he infected at least 12 people.
The unnamed male 'superspreader' in his 20s went to the party of at least 20 a few weeks back and later tested positive for the virus.
The other partygoers were told to self-quarantine by health officials and, by June 21, 12 had also tested positive with most showing symptoms for COVID-19.
Large indoor gatherings continue to be banned under the state's stay-at-home order.
Numbers in the county have been gradually rising throughout June, leading health officials to issue an alert level of 3 out of 4.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has not ruled out putting the state back into lockdown if cases continue to soar.
'It's your individual decision that will determine our fate and future... to mitigate the likelihood and need that we ever have to toggle back on these stay-at-home orders,' he said in a press conference. Newsom said Monday that he does not want to shutter the state again but that he is 'prepared' to do so if necessary, as he urged residents to keep following social distancing as rules are relaxed.
'We don't intend to do that. We don't want to do that. But I want to make this clear: We are prepared to do that, if we must.'
California is just one of several states were fears are mounting that officials plowed ahead with reopening plans too soon, triggering a renewed spike in cases.
The US saw a 25 percent increase in new cases in the last week compared to the previous seven days with Arizona, Florida and Texas experiencing record surges in new infections.
Twenty-five states reported more new cases in the week ended June 21 than the previous week, including 10 states that saw weekly new infections rise more than 50 percent and 12 states that posted new records, according to a Reuters analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project.
Texas reported one of the largest rises in new cases at 24,000 for the week ended June 21, an increase of 84 percent from the previous week.
Fears that the state is buckling under the outbreak have led Governor Abbott to somewhat backtrack on reopening plans, telling residents to stay home unless they have a good reason to go out.
New cases soared to 5,489, while hospitalizations reached 4,092 - marking the worst figures the state has seen on record.
The Texas Children's Hospital in Houston is now taking adult patients to provide additional beds in efforts to meet the spike in demand.
TEXAS DEATHS: In Texas, deaths were down to 10 on Monday compared to the record 58 on May 15
TEXAS CASES: Texas reported one of the largest rises in new cases at 24,000 for the week ended June 21, an increase of 84 percent from the previous week
Venues in Texas are packed with revellers at the weekend, while fears mount that the state is buckling under the outbreak
Governor Abbott is somewhat backtracking on reopening plans, telling residents to stay home unless they have a good reason to go out
Abbott gave a dire warning in a press conference Tuesday that the outbreak is now 'rampant' and gave local officials more powers to reduce the size of outdoor gatherings ahead of July 4 celebrations as Texas set a record for the 12th straight day.
Abbott, who plowed on with reopening the state in April at the peak of the US crisis, gave local mayors and county judges the ability to restrict outdoor gatherings to 100 instead of the current limit of 500.
'I did authorize local officials to have the authority to establish regulations in gatherings of 100 or more people,' he said in a press conference Tuesday.
'This was intended to allow local authorities in particular to regulate gatherings for Fourth of July celebrations. We did not specify what restrictions or regulations they could impose. It's possible they could require masks in such an environment. It's going to be up to local officials in that regard.'
Abbott also gave the Texas Health and Human Services Commission emergency powers to roll out strict health and safety standards for child care centers after cases have soared in facilities across the state.
FLORIDA CASES: FLORIDA CASES: Florida, one of the last states to impose stay-at-home restrictions and one of the first to begin lifting them, reported 2,926 new cases on Monday - down from the record 4,000 cases on Saturday
FLORIDA DEATHS: The state recorded 12 news deaths on Monday compared to the record 84 in early May
In Florida, where new cases surged 87 percent last week, Governor Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday he will be cracking down on social distancing (pictured Miami Beach Florida)
Florida Governor DeSantis is also clamping down on residents after new cases rose 87 percent last week to almost 22,000 with the state's positive test rate nearly doubling to 11 percent. Pictured people participate in a 'Right to Work' rally outside of the Elbo Room bar on June 16
Florida Governor DeSantis is also clamping down on residents after new cases rose 87 percent last week to almost 22,000 with the state's positive test rate nearly doubling to 11 percent.
Fears are mounting that the Sunshine State is on track to be the new virus epicenter as it has seen historic highs of new cases several days over the last week.
The governor, who previously insisted the state will plow on with its reopening regardless of a surge in infections, said Tuesday that bars and restaurants found to be breaking the state's social distancing and capacity guidelines could lose their alcohol licenses.
'There's not going to be any tolerance for it,' DeSantis said during a press conference.
'If you go in and it's just like mayhem, like Dance Party USA, and it's packed to the rafters, that's just cut and dry, and that's not just an innocent mistake.'
He said Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears will now be 'the grim reaper for business licenses' and will take away licenses of establishments not sticking with the rules.
In New Jersey Gov. Murphy vowed to 'tighten up' on recently reopened bars and restaurants which have been caught with big crowds (pictured)
Images on social media showed people flocking to establishments over the weekend (pictured)
This comes after The Knight's Pub in Central Florida lost its license Monday after a state inspector found patrons were not social distancing at the bar and an outbreak had struck down 13 employees and 28 partygoers.
Under the reopening rules in place, bars can operate at 50 percent capacity, but concerns have been building that some sites are ignoring the retirements.
Similar concerns have been raised in New Jersey with Gov. Murphy vowing to 'tighten up' on recently reopened bars and restaurants caught with big crowds after images on social media showed people flocking to establishments over the weekend.
'Folks should know that we can't look the other way on this,' Murphy said during a press briefing Monday.
'Can you blame people for coming out and letting their hair down a little bit? ... But we are going to have to tighten up.'
Murphy said people were violating the outdoor dining rules that went into effect last week and that anyone doing so - and the places they are caught doing so - will be dealt with heavily.
