End of lockdown, Memorial Day add up to increase in coronavirus cases, experts say
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The spike in coronavirus cases in Florida, Arizona, Oregon and other Southern and Western states can be traced back to around Memorial Day, when officials began loosening their lockdowns, health experts said Monday.
And in about two weeks, hospitals in those states could find themselves struggling to find enough beds for patients, one of the nation's top public health experts warned.
"In some smaller Southern towns, the per capita rates of infections could be as high as New York City was at its peak," Dr. Erik Toner of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said.
Beachgoers take advantage of the opening of South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., on on June 10, 2020.Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images file
In the last 14 days, Oregon has reported a 234.4 percentage jump in infections, Oklahoma jumped by 202 percent, Florida's number increased by 155 percent, and Arizona's confirmed coronavirus cases climbed by 142 percent, according to an NBC News analysis of state health department figures.
Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Louisiana and more than a dozen other states — as well as Guam and the Virgin Islands — had increases in the numbers of reported cases in the last two weeks.
"It's basically the same reason for all these states: It was Memorial Day," Toner said. "And in the last week of May, most states began to seriously relax community mitigation efforts."
Toner said that as lockdowns are relaxed, "we will see a rise in coronavirus cases."
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"The question is how high will they rise," he said. "Oregon, for example, has done a good job of dealing with the pandemic, and if people adhere to wearing face masks and social distancing, it may not be bad. But some Southern and Western states have gone out of their way to not wear face masks or practice social distancing, and we expect it to be much worse."
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, delayed reopening four of the state's most populous counties this month when cases started to climb.
The Republican governors of Arizona and Florida have move been more aggressive with reopening, sometimes over the objections of local hospital officials.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, warned Monday that "additional measures are going to be necessary" and that he may clamp down on businesses that don't require masks if the number of cases continues to climb.
"There are certain counties where a majority of the people who are tested positive in that county are under the age of 30, and this typically results from people going to bars," Abbott said.
Abbott last week blamed Memorial Day celebrations, along with a rise in the number of prison inmates who contracted the virus, for the dismal new data.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, announced Monday that he would delay the next phase of the state's reopening for 28 days.
"This remains a very contagious disease," Edwards said. "There are a lot of people out there saying they are done with this virus. Well, the virus isn't done with us."
Just a couple weeks ago, the governor reported that the state had escaped from Memorial Day unscathed.
Dr. Paul Cieslak, senior health adviser to the Oregon Health Authority, said Oregon's "recent rise in cases is due to a combination of many factors."
"We've had quite a few workplace outbreaks, increased contact tracing and testing, a large outbreak in Union County and finally just more community spread," Cieslak said. "But we still have a very low per capita case and death count and have the fifth-lowest cases per capita among states as measured by the CDC."
Consumers return to retail shopping at Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday, June 20, 2020.Christian Petersen / Getty Images
President Donald Trump and allies, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, have attributed the rise in cases to more testing, a claim most health experts say is at best partly true.
Ducey also suggested another uniquely Arizona reason for the spread of the virus last week. "We're indoors in the summers," he said.
Ducey, as well as DeSantis and Abbott, have all insisted that their states have enough intensive care beds to handle any surge.
But DeSantis has also changed his state's guidelines for ICU reporting. From now on, DeSantis doesn't want the hospitals to report the number of patients in ICU beds. He wants hospitals to report the number of patients who require an "intensive level of care."
Florida passed 100,000 coronavirus cases Monday and has recorded more than 3,170 deaths.
Corky Siemaszko
Corky Siemaszko is a senior writer for NBC News Digital.
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Our TX Governor Abbott is now learning what Governor Cuomo knows too well...
SMH
Of course there is no mention of all the protests and riots for the past several weeks.
Abbott last week blamed Memorial Day celebrations, along with a rise in the number of prison inmates who contracted the virus, for the dismal new data.
Which raises an interesting question-- how come New Yorkers didn't celebrate Memorial Day?
(And...why does New York State have almost no prison inmates?)
New York State had 841 new cases yesterday that’s more than some states total number of cases.
Might be some good news in all of this. More younger people are coming down with the virus, but the cases are tending to be milder.
Sadly, they can still infect the older and sicker people, but perhaps this is natures way of building herd immunity.
Any further lockdowns in the US are out of the question, since the upsurge doesn't seem to be workplace related.
I have been hearing about that too. I know in Florida the median age has dropped from 65 in March to 36 currently.
Dean,
We also do the most testing of any state. We are not in denial. btw.. went to that link and the number was 702 (not to nitpick).
I don't know where the 702 number came from I just took a screen shot now and they are reporting 841 new cases for the previous day. The numbers are from left to right - total cases, total deaths, new daily cases and new daily deaths.
Well, when I saw that citizens were rebelling about lockdown and refusing to follow the safety guidelines, I said "You ain't seen nothin' yet", and here we go...vying for the record: As of today, 2,288,153 infections, 122,618 deaths. How high can we go?
they're too stupid to care or know
It is estimated that September will be worse than it has been so far. I have limited myself to going to the grocery store and the bank, with an occasional El Pollo Loco visit (drive through). But I plan to have groceries delivered come September. In fact I plan to start stocking up in August enough of the things I use each month to decrease my trips. What I want to know why the governors of the states with surging cases are allowing Trump to hold his bs rallys in their states considering that he does not give a rat's ass if his followers come down with it and take it home. At his failed rally at least 8 of his own staff there came down with it. This close to election, people have decided who they will vote for. His ego stroke fests have to stop.
In the land of the free, and the home of the brave, Americans are not forced to comply under threat of imprisonment or death, like in some countries.
Did they tamp down that second wave in Beijing yet?
That is not a second wave. A second wave is massive. That is leftovers from the first wave.
My mistake...I thought China had it whipped.
Notwithstanding your intentionally insulting comments, I will advise you that it was an unusual outbreak in Beijing that is being dealt with competently, contained, and will IMO soon be eradicated. Many thousands of people are voluntarily lining up to be tested, and travel restrictions are in place.
Just so you'll know, many countries have been arresting those who defied a strict lockdown, and I watched a news clip showing that in California some asshole who said he woke up this morning a free man and refused to comply with the restrictions WAS being arrested - in America, the land you're so proud to call the land of the free. I have never heard of anyone being sentenced to death for contravening the restrictions anywhere in the world, but then I'll just count that as one of your outlandish exaggerations of reality.
A medical director here gives us daily updates on my local news. She has been encouraging everyone to wear masks and do social distancing. She has been receiving death threats over this. I am sure that they were mostly by email so the FBI needs to track the IP Addresses and bust these morons. If any of these threats were posted on social media, their accounts should be suspended permanently and their account info turned over to the authorities. Maybe a little time in jail and a substantial fine would take the air out of their tires.
The spike in coronavirus cases in Florida, Arizona, Oregon and other Southern and Western states can be traced back to around Memorial Day, when officials began loosening their lockdowns, health experts said Monday.
Damn Tourists !
What no one has thought about that I know of is that there is one commonality in Florida, Texas, and Arizona. That phenomenon is called the arrival of summer. Early on in this disease, people were more than likely spending time outdoors and then the summer heat started making them want to stay indoors.........no matter if it's the home or the recently opened up businesses with A/C. More exposure in an inside environment.
As well as increasing numbers of daily tests............................
JMHO
Jim,
Daily testing just shows more cases. What is the real issue is the increase in hospitalization and that is going up, more testing or not.
But I would have to agree with your reasoning why these warm areas are getting hit with more covid now. Which goes to show, increase social contact inside does lead to more disease.
Which raises another question in my mind. Just what are the treatments in the hospital, unless all ventilators, for these people since there is not a "cure" or vaccine? Do you have any info on that? I really haven't done much research into the procedure once someone is admitted and am truly curious.
Is it just another place, other than the home, to recover from milder cases while a symbolic, and rather expensive, method of quarantine anyway?
Is "More Contact" the issue....or just "More Testing" and finding more people that have the Virus the issue ?
A positive test means someone already has it.
My neighbor got it and was hospitalized for four days. She did not require a ventilator, but because she has diabetes and is elderly, they kept her long enough to stabilizer her so that she could finish recovering at home. Most hospitalized are those who either need breathing assistance, have aggravated prior conditions, or are too sick to take care of themselves properly on their own.
Thank you but, did they just treat her diabetes more aggressively or just what did they do to stabilize her? That is if you know how her treatments went. Serious question.
She had told me she was hardly eating for a week prior and lost almost 12 lbs. because her sense of taste had changed and she was so weak. She also has a history of bronchitis. When she was admitted, her blood sugar was dangerously elevated and she was dehydrated. They did all of the proper treatments (IV fluids, proper diet, antibiotics, and breathing treatments) for her. She is doing well now and I see her walking dog daily. She stops and talks with me but stands at the bottom of my steps with a mask on and I stand near my front door with me also wearing a mask. The closest we have been to each other was once when we picked up food for some shut ins at a food distribution site. I rode in the back of her truck to observe social distancing.
My neighbors are total beach people having moved here from a beach community. They have at least 5 surfboards. They installed an above ground pool when they first moved here and said that will do them just fine once the summer heat hits here. I get to also use it whenever I want. AGP sales have increased quite a lot here. Kid wading pools here have also increased.
Thanks Paula
You are very welcome.
The majority of travel to Florida is in the winter, not the summer. Try again.
You know that for sure ?
You live in Florida ?
Out of State Tags and Rental Tags can tell a different story.
I would posit that this is not a normal year......................