The average number of coronavirus cases being recorded in the United States every day has surpassed the peak seen last summer when the country didn’t have approved vaccines.
On Monday, officials recorded 127,976 new COVID-19 cases with a seven-day rolling average of 85,459, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Not only is this a 266 increase from the 23,291 average recorded three weeks ago, but it’s also higher than the 68,048 average recorded on July 22, 2020 at the height of the pandemic’s second wave.
Deaths are also starting to tick upward with 451 recorded on Monday and average of 344, which is the highest figure seen since June.
The figure comes as the U.S. hit a milestone of 70 percent of adults with at least one vaccine dose, one month after President Joe Biden hoped the goal wouldbe reached.
‘While we desperately want to be done with this pandemic, COVID-19 is clearly not done with us and so, our battle must last a little longer,’ CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing on Monday.
‘This is hard. This is heavy. But, we are in this together. And as we learn more about Covid, we continue to rely on proven ways to protect ourselves, our children and our loved ones.’
What’s more, two states – Florida and Texas – now account for a third of all new infections, the White House revealed during the press briefing.
Meanwhile, in Britain, which has been three to four weeks ahead of the U.S. in COVID-19 milestones, there were 21,691 COVID-19 cases recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest in five weeks.
On Monday, the U.S. recorded 127,976 new cases of coronavirus with a seven-day rolling average of 85,459, which is higher than the peak of 68,048 average cases per day recorded on July 22, 2020 during the summer surge, before vaccines were
Additionally, 451 COVID-19 deaths were recorded on Monday with a seven-day rolling average of 344, which is the highest figure since late June
Florida and Texas currently make up one-third of all new infections, with cases rising by as much as 342% in the last 14 days
The rising figures are in spite of the U.S. hitting the threshold of 70% of adults with at least one vaccine dose and the pace rising over the last week
Florida continues to lead the nation in COVID-19 cases with an average of 27,681 infectiona per day, data from Johns Hopkins University show.
That is a record figure, surpassing the previous high of 17,991 set on January 5, and represents a 342 percent increase from the 6,492 average cases reported two weeks ago, a DailyMail.com analysis shows.
Meanwhile, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida rose to an all-time high of 11,515 patients in one day, according to data the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released Tuesday.
The data is used by the Florida Hospital Association to track admissions and staffing shortages. The figures also show 2,400 of those patients are in ICU beds.
The previous day, the data showed there were 10,389 COVID-hospitalizations in the state.
The new number breaks a previous record for current hospitalizations set more than a year ago before vaccines were available. Last year, Florida hit its previous peak on July 23, with 10,170 hospitalizations.
It’s led to the state’s largest hospital systems expanding their coronavirus units, limiting visitors and fearing staffing shortages as they deal with the surge.
Hospitalizations have grown ten-fold statewide in just over a month as the more contagious Indian ‘Delta’ variant spreads, with more than 95 percent of COVID-19 patients unvaccinated, officials said.
‘It’s an overwhelming demand in the hospitals right now,’ said Mary Mayhew, president of the Florida Hospital Association.
‘Now we’re dealing with a relatively new variant mutation. The dramatic increase is so different than last summer’ when the previous records were set.
Republican Florida Gov Ron DeSantis says the surge is seasonal, caused by people gathering inside to avoid the summer heat and humidity.
He has barred local governments and school districts from imposing mandatory mask mandates and vaccine requirements.
But throughout the state, hospitals are again seeing their COVID-19 wards filling after nearly emptying in June.
Florida is averaging 27,681 cases per day, a 342% increase from the 6,492 average cases reported two weeks ago (left). COVID-19 hospitalizations also reached a record high with 11,515, breaking the previous record of 10, 207 set on Monday (right)
Average cases in Texas have risen by 74% from 4,577 per day to 7,992 per day in the last two weeks (left). Hospitalizations have also increased to more than 6,200 patients, which is the highest since February (right)
Meanwhile, in Texas, cases have risen 74 percent in the last two weeks from an average of 4,577 cases per day to 7,992 per day, Johns Hopkins data show.
There are more than 6,200 virus-related hospitalizations, which is the highest figure recorded since late February.
According to the CDC, more than 1,000 patients are being hospitalized in The Lone Star State every day.
As of Monday, the Austin health department said there were only seven ICU beds available throughout the entire city, which is home to more than two million residents.
‘We are running out of time and our community must act now,’ Dr Desmar Walkes, Austin’s medical director/health authority, said.
‘Our ICU capacity is reaching a critical point where the level of risk to the entire community has significantly increased, and not just to those who are needing treatment for COVID. If we fail to come together as a community now, we jeopardize the lives of loved ones who might need critical care.’
Similarly to deSantis, Texas Gov Greg Abbott issued an executive order last week banning mask requirements in schools systems and outlaws vaccine requirements by anyone receiving public funds.
Britain’s daily Covid cases fell to another five-week low on Tuesday.
Figures from the Department of Health show another 21,691 cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, down 7.7 percent compared to last Tuesday and the lowest number of daily infections since late June.
But there are early signs the pace of the drop is slowing after cases dipped only seven percent on last Tuesday. For comparison, the same time last week they had fallen 50 per cent on the previous seven-day spell.
What’s more, COVID-19 hospitalizations also fallen 15 percent in a week after another 731 admissions were recorded by officials on July 30, the latest date available.
Deaths linked to the virus are still rising, however, with 138 fatalities confirmed on Tuesday, which is up 5.3 percent compared to last Tuesday.
Experts said cases were likely to stop falling rapidly this week because of Freedom Day, when most remaining restrictions were cast aside in England to allow nightclubs to reopen and make face masks and social distancing advisory.
They added that hospitalizations in England had likely already peaked, and the country was close to being ‘over the hill now’ with deaths from the virus.
Meanwhile, in Sweden, the nation is approaching zero COVID-19 deaths, recording an average of 0.6 virus-related deaths per day over the last two weeks.
Although it has the highest per capita death toll of its Scandinavian neighbors, Sweden has kept its economy afloat throughout the pandemic with its reluctance to enforce tough social distancing rules or lockdowns.
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