Several US States Hit Record High for Coronavirus Cases But Trump Says Country Will Not Lockdown Again

More than a dozen other states in the United States are also reporting big jumps in the number of COVID-19 cases as much of the country reopens after months of quarantine.

While increasing hospitalizations is seen a sign of a growing outbreak, President Donald Trump has stated the United States would not close businesses again as several states reported rising numbers of new coronavirus infections.

His comments come after White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin both stressed that the United States could not shut down the economy again.

Restaurants, gyms, schools and other locations closed down in March as the country braced for the coronavirus. Millions of Americans found themselves unemployed as a result of the virus pandemic.

Despite the risks of coronavirus spread at a large gathering, the American leader is moving forward with his campaign rally in Tulsa. The rally is scheduled for Saturday and slated to be held in a 20,000-person indoor arena.

Health officials are warning that Trump’s upcoming rally in Tulsa could become a site of spread for the cdeadly disease, as Oklahoma saw its highest single day increase in cases on Tuesday.

Governors in the states have argued that the increasing number of virus cases is a product of expanded testing, but public health experts have pointed to warning signs that there is more transmission within communities, including an increasing number of tests coming back positive.

In a call with governors, Vice President Mike Pence encouraged them to repeat the administration’s claim that increased testing accounts for the spike in numbers, The New York Times reported.

Though the White House has tried to explain a recent spike in coronavirus cases around the country by citing expanded screenings for the virus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, top US health official and a leading member of the White House coronavirus task force, announced that is unlikely, arguing the surge in cases “cannot be explained by increased testing”.

The novel coronavirus cases in the United States have surpassed 2.16 million as of Thursday, with more than 117,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University tally.

A COVID-19 model once cited by the White House projects more than 200,000 Americans could die from the fatal virus by October. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington announced that deaths from COVID-19 in the US could reach anywhere between 171,000 and 270,000, with a likely estimate of about 201,129. The number of daily deaths is expected to rise again in September after reaching a plateau in June.

More than 8.34 million cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide, including at least 449,000 deaths, according to the JHU.