US passes two million confirmed COVID-19 cases

NEW YORK: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States passed the two million mark as cases continue to rise across the country.

Thousands of new laboratory tests have returned positive daily in several states, with the pandemic appearing to shift from large urban centres like New York City and Chicago toward smaller, rural areas. States that have loosened restrictions have also seen resurgences in cases.

The total case count in the country as of Wednesday evening stands at 2,000,464. The country’s death toll has also continued to climb steadily, surpassing 112,900 people, according to public health data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The one million most recent cases were added over the course of over a month after the US surpassed a million confirmed cases on April 28. The country has reported more than 20,000 cases a day since then.

On Tuesday, 21 US states reported weekly increases in new cases of COVID-19. Arizona, Utah and New Mexico all posted rises of 40 percent or higher for the week compared with the previous seven days.

The day before, 14 states along with Puerto Rico, recorded their highest-ever seven day average of new cases since the start of the pandemic. The states include Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi and Utah, all of which have loosened their lockdown restrictions faster than others.

Arizona was among the first states to reopen in mid-May and its cases have increased 115 percent since then. California has placed half its population on a watch list comprising of counties that have seen an uptick in cases.

Texas has continually reported record-high hospitalisations due to the disease. On Tuesday, health officials reported more than 2,000 patients were in hospital.

Johns Hopkins University found 22 states, including Michigan and Arizona, had seen at least small daily upticks in new cases. Virginia, Rhode Island and Nebraska showed the greatest decreases.

The number of new infections around the US rose three percent in the first week of June. The number of infections and deaths related to COVID-19 is believed to be far higher than official data due to lack of testing.

Health officials have stressed on the importance of widespread testing and contact tracing to ensure any resurgence of the virus is caught early. The Trump administration has yet to produce a plan that has satisfied both parties in Congress.

The White House’s coronavirus task force collects data but has shifted focus towards reopening the economy on President Donald Trump’s orders.

The recent anti-racism demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody have also caused alarm as tens of thousands of protesters defied public gathering restrictions. 

The coronavirus has infected over 7.2 million people and killed over 410,000 people worldwide.