Jun 21, 2020 - Health

U.S. reports highest number of new coronavirus cases since May 1

Axios

Haircut — Front-line worker receiving a free haircut in New York City. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images

The U.S. on Saturday reported more than 33,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the highest total since May 1, CNBC reports, citing Johns Hopkins data.

Why it matters: It's a sign that the outbreak isn't slowing down nationwide, even as the number of new cases in original hotspots like New York continues to drop. States like California, Texas, Florida and Arizona are reporting a surge of infections as they move to fully reopen parts of the economy and return to normal life.

Between the lines: President Trump claimed at a rally on Saturday that he told officials to slow down testing, blaming an increase in testing capacity for the growth in new cases. While his campaign later said he was joking, Trump also called testing "overrated" in an interview with the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week.

The significant spike in cases in several states isn't solely attributable to more testing.
And Arizona, Texas, North Carolina and Alabama have also hit record hospitalizations in the last few days — a metric that isn't skewed by increased testing.

By the numbers: As of Sunday morning, the U.S. had reported 2.25 million total cases of the coronavirus and more than 119,000 deaths.

The bottom line: "I don't like to talk about a second wave right now, because we haven't gotten out of our first wave," Anthony Fauci recently told The Daily Beast.

Go deeper ... Map: The states where coronavirus cases are surging

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U.S. reports highest number of new coronavirus cases since May 1

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