The United States saw another record-setting day recently, with more than 48,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported, according to the New York Times. New U.S. cases have risen by 80 percent in the past two weeks, leading several states and cities to cancel upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.
CNN reports that at least 19 states that were progressing through reopening have now paused or rolled back plans. In Colorado, which gained praise for its early — but cautious — reopening of businesses, bars will now be closed for 30 days. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said his state has seen a slight uptick in cases over the last two weeks. Bars and nightclubs opened just over two weeks ago, but Polis said the state may not yet be able to open those establishments safely.
Likewise, California Governor Gavin Newsom closed all indoor establishments, including restaurants, movie theaters, and bars, in 19 counties where case counts are rising. The closing will last for at least three weeks. Newsom also announced that parking facilities at state beaches in Southern California and the Bay Area will be closed for the Fourth of July weekend.
In New York City, which has successfully contained the outbreak after seeing cases soar in April and May, Mayor Bill De Blasio said he will not allow indoor dining to resume as planned after watching what is happening in other states.
Also, the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are now asking visitors from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, National Public Radio reports. According to the tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University, the United States has over 2,600,000 cases of the virus, including almost 128,000 deaths.
