WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States added 1,262 more deaths to its COVID-19 toll in the 24 hours ending at (0030 GMT Thursday), according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
The world’s largest economy also added 53,158 new cases of the virus, the Baltimore-based institution’s tracker showed.
The US has now recorded 4,818,328 total cases, which have resulted in 157,930 deaths, making it by far the worst-hit country in the world.
President Donald Trump nonetheless remained optimistic Wednesday, saying “This thing’s going away. It will go away like things go away and my view is that schools should be open.”
The pandemic has seen a resurgence in the US since June in many states, particularly in the south and west.
One of them, Florida, on Wednesday surpassed half a million cases since the start of the crisis.
In Arizona, another badly hit state, more than 500 inmates in a Tucson jail — more than half the facility’s population — tested positive for coronavirus, local prison officials said.
The Arizona Department of Corrections said Tuesday that 517 inmates at the ASPC-Tucson Whetstone prison “have tested positive for COVID-19.”
The coronavirus has severely afflicted US jails and penitentiaries, home to the world’s biggest prison population, which comprises 2.3 million inmates.
Arizona, population 7.3 million, has reported more than 180,000 coronavirus cases, of which 1,429 are in prisons. Seven of its COVID-19 fatalities came in state prisons.
Meanwhile, California has reported 51 deaths among prisoners, including 22 in the notorious San Quentin prison just north of San Francisco.
One San Quentin prisoner on death row died after contracting COVID-19, while five other inmates died between July 24 and 26.
California, population 40 million, has reported more than 524,000 coronavirus cases and 9,700 deaths.
In an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus in the close confines of prisons, since March 11 authorities in the state have released 15,683 inmates who were behind bars for minor crimes or were nearing the end of their sentences.
Separately, New York will put up checkpoints at key entry points to the city to ensure that travelers are complying with the state’s quarantine requirements, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday.
Visitors from 35 US states, including Florida and Texas, are currently required to quarantine for two weeks after entering New York in an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus.
De Blasio said law enforcement agencies will operate “traveler registration checkpoints” at major bridge and tunnel crossings into the Big Apple from Thursday.
Travelers from the states on the quarantine list will have to fill out a health form which will help authorities with contact tracing in case of an infection.
Arrivals at New York’s airports already have to complete the form. Anyone who refuses to is subject to a $2,000 fine.
COVID-19 has killed more than 32,000 people in New York state, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.
The city was the epicenter of America’s outbreak back in March and April but the spread of the virus has largely been brought under control, even as cases have surged elsewhere in the country.
Individuals who violate New York’s quarantine can be fined $10,000. — NNN-AGENCIES
