Deaths are beginning to surge again in the US amid a record spike in new cases

After months of America’s coronavirus death rate steadily declining, a disturbing new trend has emerged in the past seven days.

Daily coronavirus deaths are on the rise after months of decline in the US with 760 recorded in the past 24 hours compared to just 217 a week ago.

In the nation’s latest figures, the US posted 66,528 new cases, a record for a 24-hour period, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. The country has now recorded a total of 3,242,073 infections.

After months of the nation’s death rate steadily declining, a disturbing new trend has emerged in the past seven days with 4500 deaths reported nationally.

Eight states set single-day death records this week: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Tennessee.

After months of the nation’s death rate steadily declining it is starting to rise again. Picture: Our World in Data

Three states, Texas, Arizona and South Carolina, have all seen their death toll rise by more than 100 per cent in the past four weeks, while Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, California and Louisiana have seen at least a 20 per cent jump in that same time span.

After shutdown orders took effect across the country in mid-April and the nation’s death rate began to flatten.

The lowest it fell to was on July 5, with 217 recorded coronavirus deaths. That was the lowest toll since March 24, when the pandemic first starting to take hold of the nation.

Although deaths are beginning to rise again, they are still below the highs in April and May, when more than 2000 people were dying each day.

However, experts predict the current curve will start to worsen in the coming days and weeks as cases continue to skyrocket.

“This is just the early wave of a lot of suffering and death. The longer we wait to act aggressively, the harder it’s going to be for us to get out of the tailspin,” Ashish K. Jha, who directs the Harvard Global Health Institute, told the Washington Post.

Today’s data on COVID in our nation is very concerning.

Houston, we have a problem.

Looking at 7 day averages,

Cases rising in 43 states

% of tests + going up in 39 states

Hospitalizations? up in 29 states

Deaths? Up in 28 states

But not all states are the same

Thread

— Ashish "The pandemic is still with us" Jha (@ashishkjha) July 12, 2020

The reason for this is that deaths, in relation to this pandemic, are seen as a “lagging indicator”, so it takes some time before record case numbers result in increased deaths.

Record numbers of infected people headed to hospital is also an indicator that the situation may worsen.

Overnight, five states and territories set a record for coronavirus-related hospitalisations: Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Alaska, Florida and California.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump donned a face mask in public for the first time, finally yielding to intense pressure to set a public health example.

President Trump had on a dark mask featuring the presidential seal as he walked through Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington to meet with wounded veterans.

US President Donald Trump was pictured wearing a face mask for the first time during a visit to a military hospital. Picture: Alex Edelman / AFP

News reports this week said aides practically begged the president to relent and wear a mask in public — and let himself be photographed — as coronavirus cases soar in some states.

They include Florida, where Disney World on Saturday reopened two of its four Orlando theme parks, even as the state reported 10,360 new infections and 95 deaths.

Saturday’s visitors had reserved their tickets in advance, allowing Disney to control the number of people in the park and accommodate for social distancing.

Visitors were required to undergo temperature checks, and hand sanitiser was widely available.

Disney said it was enforcing social distancing of two metres at attractions and inside shops.