WASHINGTON, June 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States added 288 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours, the Johns Hopkins University tally showed, with the infection rate remaining high as the country struggles to control a new surge of the disease.
The world’s largest economy is the hardest-hit country by the pandemic, with 125,768 dead out of more than 2.5 million cases, according to the Baltimore-based institution.
Bars in Los Angeles and six other Californian counties were ordered to close again on Sunday as parts of the country reimpose shutdown measures to try to quell a recent sharp jump in coronavirus cases.
The United States, the hardest-hit country, has more than 2.5 million cases alone, and efforts to reopen the world’s biggest economy have been set back by a jump in new infections in big states such as Florida and California.
President Donald Trump was under growing pressure to set an example by wearing a face mask as his health secretary warned the “window is closing” for the country to gain control of the situation.
The US state of California was the latest authority to reimpose restrictions, ordering bars in Los Angeles and six other counties — an area with 13.5 million residents — to close because of the rising number of cases.
The hardest-hit parts of the US are in the south and west, where many state leaders had pushed for early economic reopenings.
But Los Angeles, the second-largest US city, only re-opened its bars on June 19.
California had already ordered some areas to reinstate stay-at-home orders, while San Francisco announced a “pause” in its reopening.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis conceded there had been an “explosion” in new cases as the state notched a record 9,585 cases in 24 hours.
Young people frustrated by months of confinement have poured back to the state’s beaches, boardwalks and bars, often without masks and seemingly unconcerned about social distancing.
Miami announced beaches would close over the July 4 holiday weekend and bars are also shutting their doors.
New coronavirus cases have been surging in more than half of US states, reaching record highs. — NNN-AGENCIES
