Weeks after most US states began lifting their lockdowns, parts of the country are clamping down on renewed restrictions hoping to slow staggering surges in new case numbers.
With July 4 approaching, officials are trying not to repeat scenes of Memorial Day, when thousands across the country flocked to beaches, bars and parties while experts cautioned the crowds could lead to spikes in cases down the road. At least 12 states have hit a pause on their reopening plans hoping to contain the spread.
In Texas and parts of California, bars were directed to close back down while beaches in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach were ordered off-limits to the public during the upcoming holiday weekend.
Three Students Make History at Northwestern University as the First All-Black MFA Directing Cohort
In Florida, on-premise alcohol consumption was suspended in bars statewide.
The announcements come after a devastating week for the country, during which many states broke their records for new cases in a day and the US also recorded a record high of single-day cases with 40,173 reported Friday.
But those numbers may just be a glimpse into how widespread infections across the country are, as a survey from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the total numbers of infections could be up to 24 times higher than reported.
What happens next is unclear. Local and state leaders have vowed they’ll do whatever it takes to stay away from a second shutdown. But many have stopped short of taking the option off the table.
And as more cases continue to report a rise in cases, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar warned Sunday the window of time to get the pandemic under control is quickly closing.
Source: Some US states return to previous restrictions hoping to slow surges of coronavirus cases
