(CNN) — More than 97,000 children in U.S they tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, says a new report.
He report, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association of Children’s Hospitals, said that in those two weeks there was a 40% increase in childhood cases in the states and cities studied.
The age range for children differed by state, with some defining children as only those individuals up to 14 years old, while one state, Alabama, carries the limit up to 24 years.
The data compiled comes during the back-to-school season as health officials try to understand the effects of the virus on children and the role young people play in its spread. Some schools have begun welcoming crowds to their classes and others have had to readjust their reopening plans in response to infections.
At a Georgia high school that made headlines after a photo of a crowded school hallway went viral, nine cases of coronavirus were reported, according to a letter from the principal. Six of those cases were students and three were staff members, the letter said.
While some American leaders, including the president, have said that the virus poses little risk to children, a recent study suggests that older children can transmit the virus as much as adults. Another study said that children under the age of 5 have a higher viral load than adults, raising even more questions about their role in transmission.
At least 86 children have died since May, according to the new report. Last week, a 7-year-old boy with no pre-existing conditions became the youngest coronavirus victim in Georgia. In Florida, two teens died earlier this month, bringing the number of minors killed in the state to seven.
And black and Hispanic children are hit hardest with higher rates of coronavirus-related infections, hospitalizations and complications, recently published research shows.
More than 1,000 deaths per day reported for 5 days
Some parents and educators have protested strongly against going back to school in person at a time when the virus is still out of control across the country.
The United States surpassed the five million infections reported over the weekend and at least 162,938 people have died since the start of the pandemic, more than any other country in the world.
The country reported more than 1,000 deaths daily for at least five days in a row through Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Since July 21, there have been only four days during which the US recorded fewer than 1,000 virus-related deaths.
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In Florida, which saw a staggering spike in cases over the summer, Sunday marked the 13th straight day the state reported more than 6,000 new positive tests in a single day, according to a CNN tally.
State and local officials have linked the resurgence of cases to large group gatherings and more infections among young people.
Dr. Anthony Fauci implored young people last week to heed the guidelines, saying during a webinar with the Alliance for Health Policy, “Don’t be the weak link in the chain.”
“That is the message we have to get across to young people,” he said. “Obviously they are not doing anything deliberately and maliciously, but what they are inadvertently doing is spreading the outbreak.”
60 infractions in bars and restaurants
Despite continued warnings, in some parts of the country they continue to operate as usual.
Many Americans are still moving around as much as they did before the pandemic, according to Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Assessment at the University of Washington.
“If you look at the mobility data collected from mobile phones in many parts of the country, we have almost returned to pre-covid levels of mobility, so we are not being as cautious as other people in other countries,” Murray told him previously. to CNN.
Hundreds of thousands are on the move for a massive event in a small town in South Dakota taking place this week: the 80th annual City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. City officials say the event has drawn some 500,000 tourists in recent years, and while they have recommended guidelines such as social distancing and limited capacity for bars, none of that is legally enforceable.
Elsewhere, failure to observe safety precautions has had repercussions.
At least 60 bars and restaurants in New York violated coronavirus-related guidelines on Friday and Saturday, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“We need the NYPD to step up and help New York City, and we need local governments across the board to do their job as well,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
In Hawaii, Honolulu police came out and issued citations after a new order from the mayor that essentially shut down beaches for the day in an effort to stem a recent spike in cases and hospitalizations.
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Authorities issued more than 200 citations Saturday to people who were on beaches, parks or involved in large gatherings, according to KHON, affiliate of CNN. People who received subpoenas will have to appear in court, the affiliate reported.
CNN’s Naomi Thomas, Sheena Jones, Chandler Thornton, Melissa Alonso, and Hollie Silverman contributed to this report.
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