Here’s what’s happening with COVID-19 in the United States and around the world on Friday.
The latest:
- Daily confirmed coranvirus cases hit an all-time high of 40,000 in the United States.
- 1.4 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, though the numbers are declining.
- Canadian charities are asking for more government aid due to economic crisis and ‘massive disruption.’
- British Health Secretary warns the government may close beaches following mass gatherings.
- India nears half a million confirmed cases after its biggest 24-hour increase on Friday.
- Trump administration seeks to invalidate the Affordable Care Act.
- Provincial governments have ‘failed supporting seniors‘ during the pandemic, says Trudeau.
The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in a single day in the United States hit an all-time high of 40,000 Friday — eclipsing the mark set during one of the deadliest stretches in late April — in a resurgence that has led some governors to backtrack or at least pause the reopening of their states.
While the increase is believed to reflect, in part, greatly expanded testing, experts say there is ample evidence the virus is making a comeback, including rising deaths and hospitalizations in parts of the country, especially in the South and West. Arizona, Texas and Florida are among the states that have been hit hard.
The number of confirmed infections soared past the previous high set on April 24 of 36,400, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. are down to around 600 per day, compared with about 2,200 in mid-April. Some experts have expressed doubt that deaths will return to that level, in part because of advances in treatment and prevention, but also because a large share of the new infections are in younger adults, who are more likely than older ones to survive.
WATCH | Infectious disease specialist on global response to COVID-19:
Dr. Michael Gardam says U.S. figures suggesting the coronavirus is 10 times more widespread than official statistics indicate could very well be accurate. 6:42
The virus is blamed for 124,000 deaths in the U.S. and 2.4 million confirmed infections nationwide, by Johns Hopkins’ count. But the true numbers are probably much higher because of limited testing and other factors. Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, relying on blood tests, estimated Thursday that 20 million Americans have been infected. That is about six per cent of the population and nearly 10 times higher than the official count.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced the state is postponing further efforts to reopen following his decision to lift stay-home restrictions. The state saw 3,056 additional infections Thursday, the fourth day in a week with an increase over 3,000. Twenty-three per cent of tests conducted in the state over the past seven days have been positive, nearly triple the national average, and a record 415 patients were on ventilators.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also temporarily halted the state’s reopening on Thursday, after the state saw one of the biggest jumps in new cases, reporting more than 6,000 in