MANILA – The Washington Post on Thursday reported that 55,220 new coronavirus cases had been recorded in the United States (US) surpassing Wednesday’s record of 52,789, previously the largest single-day total since the start of the pandemic.
The State of Florida where thousands of picnickers were seen converging in beaches after easing their lockdown had 10,109 new cases of the coronavirus, marking a new single-day record for the state, far higher than the reported 6,563 cases on Wednesday. Death toll jumped to 68 on that day bringing the total to 3,718 thus making the state’s 25 consecutive day of setting a daily record high. It is followed by Georgia with 3,472, up from 2,976 cases on Wednesday, one of the first states to loosen restrictions.
Prompted by the data from Florida, Texas Governor Greg Abbot on Thursday issued a statewide order requiring its citizens to wear face masks in any county with 20 or more positive Covid-19 cases. The State of Texas has reported 7,915 new cases of the pandemic.
The mayor of Miami-Dade County announced a 10 p.m.-to-sunrise curfew starting Friday. It was found that around 2,300 of Florida’s 10,109 new infections on Thursday came from Miami-Dade. Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has been hospitalized after testing positive for Covid-19, two weeks after Cain joined thousands of people at President Trump’s Tulsa campaign rally.
On the other hand, Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious-disease expert, attributed rising case numbers in the US at least partially to the fact lockdown measures were more lenient than those in some European countries that have since managed to turn the tide of the virus.
The Washington Post also reported the US economy added 4.8 million jobs in June, sending the unemployment rate down to 11.1 percent. However, a new data from the Labor Department showed that 1.4 million people filed unemployment claims for the first time last week, marking the 15th straight week of claims that exceeded 1 million.
Moreover, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hann said on ABC’s Good Morning America program that his office has given authorization to proceed with clinical trial for four vaccines against the new coronavirus. The US may have a vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021.
