Coronavirus Spread 'Accelerating' As Cases Hit Record High

Despite reopening states and relaxed social distancing measures, the coronavirus pandemic is far from over in the United States and elsewhere.

In fact, the head of the World Health Organization said the coronavirus pandemic is “accelerating” and that more than 150,000 cases were reported across the globe Thursday — the highest single-day number so far, according to The Associated Press.

“We are in a new and dangerous phase,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, warning that restrictive measures are still needed to stop the pandemic. “Many people are understandably fed up with being at home, (and) countries are understandably eager to open up their societies.”

Tedros also emphasized that the virus is still “spreading fast.”

As of Friday afternoon, the United States had surpassed 2.2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The U.S. death toll reached almost 188,900 Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.

States across the country are reporting record numbers of new cases each day.

Twenty-one states saw an increase in their average daily cases last week compared to the previous week, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. Alabama, Oregon and South Carolina are among the states with the biggest increases.

On Thursday, California and Florida reported their highest daily totals of new cases yet. Texas became the sixth state in the nation to surpass 100,000 cases, according to a New York Times database; cases there have doubled over the past month.

Arizona’s count of confirmed COVID-19 cases surged again, setting the third record in four days for daily high numbers of new cases.

The state Department of Health Services reported 3,246 additional cases on Friday, increasing the statewide total to 46,689.

To combat the spread, some governors are issuing mandatory mask policies requiring residents to wear masks when in public.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he would require masks in most public settings. California is the 11th state and first on the West Coast to mandate masks beyond essential workers, according to the National Governors Association.

More businesses are also opting to require masks.

Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Entertainment Holdings, drew swift backlash on Thursday after he originally said moviegoers would not be required to wear masks at the company’s theaters when they reopen next month.

However, AMC backpedaled Friday, saying it had consulted with scientific advisers and would require masks in theaters nationwide.

Some businesses that previously reopened are also deciding to close again. On Friday, Apple said it would close 11 stores in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina as coronavirus infections rates spiked in those states, AP reported.

The decision is another sign the pandemic might prevent the economy from bouncing back as quickly as some states have been hoping.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's push to resume big rallies, despite concern he's putting the public's health at risk, is turning into a political fight that he frames as “US vs. THEM.”

"They hate me. They hate you. They hate rallies and it’s all because they hate the idea of MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump said in a recent fundraising email.

Trump was referencing a planned rally Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa County, where the rally will be held at a 19,000-seat arena, recently displaced Oklahoma County as the state’s leading COVID-19 hot spot with 1,825 cases.

Many have raised concerns about the health risks of tens of thousands of people attending the event — concerns that went as far as the Oklahoma Supreme Court .

Regardless, the court on Friday rejected a bid by residents and businesses in Tulsa to stop Trump from holding the campaign rally, the New York Times reported.

Worldwide, new hotspots are emerging as nearly half of the newly reported cases were from the Americas, with significant numbers from South Asia and the Middle East.

“We have a shared duty to everything we can to prevent, detect and respond to the transmission of COVID-19 detected among refugees in hospitals," Tedros said during a Friday briefing.

Additionally, 166,000 new cases were reported globally Wednesday. Together, Wednesday and Thursday comprised two of the three highest tallies since the outbreak began.

Seventy-seven nations have seen a growth in new cases over the past two weeks, while only 43 have seen declines, according to the Times.

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