U.S. coronavirus cases hit new record
Another record for coronavirus cases in the U.S. is setting off alarms for top U.S. health officials and having ripple effects even far from the hotspots.
More than 47,000 new coronavirus cases were announced across the United States on Tuesday - the biggest one-day spike since the start of the pandemic.
California alone - once hailed as a success story – reported over 8,000 news cases, its highest increase for a single day.
Amid the crushing new wave of infections - Vice President Mike Pence joined by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams - made a plea to Americans.
Adams: "Please, please, please wear a face covering when you go out in public. It is not an inconvenience. It is not a suppression of your freedom."
Pence: "What the surgeon general shared with us is the kind of practices that'll make it possible for all of us to do our part."
The Trump administration has drawn criticism for mixed messaging on face coverings, with U.S. President Donald Trump himself mostly declining to wear one.
His press secretary this week said he views it as a personal choice.
"It's his choice to wear a mask. It's the personal choice of any individual as to whether to wear a mask or not."
The record surge of new cases came as the top U.S. infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that the U.S. could see cases rise even more dramatically if the public fails to follow health guidelines.
Dr Fauci: “We are now having 40+ thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around. And so I am very concerned.”
Now - as California, Texas and Arizona emerge as the country’s latest epicenters - their rising case counts are having far-reaching consequences.
In New York – despite its increasing caseload - Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday slashed plans to resume indoor dining at restaurants in New York City.
De Blasio: "Look even a week ago, honestly I was hopeful we could. But the news we have gotten from around the country gets worse and worse all the time."
Indoor dining had been slated to return on Monday.
