Hard-Hit States Request Refrigerated Trucks As Virus Deaths Rise

ACROSS AMERICA — The United States reported its second-highest, single-day total of new coronavirus cases Wednesday as state leaders rush to impose new restrictions and refrigerated trucks are requested in hard-hit states in order to accommodate the growing number of dead.

Wednesday’s count of more than 67,300 new infections was about 1,000 cases shy of the record set late last week, according to a New York Times database, as the country’s total number of cases passed 3.5 million Thursday and deaths surpassed 138,000.

In Texas and Arizona, refrigerated trucks have been requested as coronavirus deaths continue to rise and hospital morgue space dwindles, CBS News reported.

Governors from both parties are imposing new restrictions to deal with growing virus numbers in their states.

In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey issued an order that requires people to wear masks in public as the state reported a single-day record of 47 deaths, according to the Times. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana said he was also issuing a mask order. However, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, issued an order late Wednesday that prohibited towns and counties from mandating masks even as it extended social distancing and other health requirements across the state.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt is the first U.S. governor to test positive for the virus, according to the Washington Post. The Republican governor revealed his diagnosis as his state also set a single-day record for newly reported infections.

On Thursday, Britain, the United States and Canada accused Russia on Thursday of trying to steal information from researchers seeking a COVID-19 vaccine.

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