Corona in USA: Florida, Texas, California

According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States has over 3.2 million people with corona infection and almost 135,000 deaths (as of July 12, 2020, 11.50 a.m.) – more than any other country in the world. Since the pandemic first intensified in March, the country has not managed to reach fewer than 20,000 new infections a day. In April, New York was still the corona hotspot in the United States. But while the situation there has calmed down, the states of Texas, California and Florida in particular have seen a sharp increase in numbers.

Fauci: Easing in some states came too soon

The United States recently reported a new record for new corona infections. Over 66,000 new cases were counted in just one day – this corresponds to a third of the total number of confirmed infections in Germany. Despite the negative experiences that Americans had in New York with over 32,000 deaths, the spread of the corona virus has gotten out of control. But why actually?

US immunologist Anthony Fauci also attributes the fact that the United States sees such high increases in new infections every day due to the controversy of American politics: “I think one would have to assume that without such a split there would be a more coordinated approach.” Several US politicians, particularly President Trump and some governors, have been repeatedly accused of making political and non-health decisions in the pandemic.

However, Fauci gives another, more serious reason for the extreme increase in cases: the immunologist blames early loosening in some states for the new, sometimes dramatic, corona outbreaks in many parts of the United States. “In some states, governors and mayors essentially jumped over the guidelines and checkpoints and opened a little early,” said Fauci. He cited Florida as an example of some of the guidelines being disregarded.

Corona hotspot Florida: County in Miami with many positive tests

In Florida, shops opened gradually in May and many swimmers quickly gathered on the beaches. Bars were added in June, but they were closed again due to the increasing number of cases. Governor Ron DeSantis therefore had to close many beaches on the national holiday on July 4th. In the state, the authorities have over 230,000 confirmed infections and 4,000 deaths. Recently, 120 people died from the effects of an infection with the virus within a day, the day before there were 9,000 newly infected people – a sad record for Florida. The hospitals are reaching their limits. In County Miami-Dade, one of the corona hotspots in Florida, 33 percent of the corona tests were positive. Corona admissions have increased 76 percent in the past 13 days.

For the Miami, Florida district, politician Carlos Gimenez ordered restaurants, gyms, and vacation homes to close last Monday – seven weeks after they were allowed to reopen. “We want to make sure that our hospitals continue to have the staff they need to save lives,” he said. Despite the increasing number of coronavirus cases, the “Walt Disney World” theme park in Florida has opened its doors to visitors again. Body temperature is measured at the entrance and distance and hygiene rules must be observed. According to media reports, thousands of visitors came to the opening.

Corona hotspot California: more and more relaxation

California, on the other hand, was a role model at the beginning of the corona crisis in the United States. The most populous state was one of the first to impose strict exit restrictions. The number of corona cases thus remained low, and the so-called reproduction number, or R-value for short, was temporarily below 1.0. In the meantime, however, just under 310,000 cases and 7,000 deaths have been registered following the easing. Similar to Florida, the beaches, restaurants and shops filled up again in May. The authorities currently report an average of 8,000 new cases within 24 hours. Half of the 58 so-called counties (districts) are now on a “watch list”. The health authorities keep an eye on the affected counties regarding reported new infections and Covid 19 patients in intensive care units.

In early July, California responded to the surge in new coronavirus infections by withdrawing loosening. In 19 heavily affected districts, including Los Angeles County, restaurants had to close their interior areas again. This also applies to the operation of cinemas, wineries, museums and zoos. Nor will barber shops, salons, and fitness centers in San Francisco reopen as planned next week. The restrictions should apply for at least another week and a half. California has already released 8,000 prisoners prematurely due to multiple infection cases in prisons.