U.S. sets record for new COVID cases third day in a row at 69,000

July 11, 2020, 08.11 AM | Source: Reuters
U.S. sets record for new COVID cases third day in a row at 69,000

ILUSTRASI. New cases of COVID-19 rose by 68,000 across the United States on Friday


More than four dozen hospitals in Florida have reported their intensive care units were full.

This month, Florida has repeatedly reported more new daily coronavirus cases than any European country had at the height of their outbreaks. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, angered some residents and medical experts by calling the spike a "blip."

On Friday, DeSantis said that the state would receive more than 17,000 vials of the antiviral drug remdesivir from the U.S. government, adding: "That'll be something that will hopefully help to improve patient outcomes."

Scott Burkee, a 43-year-old former Disney employee from Davenport, Florida, said DeSantis "has shown zero effort to control the spread, he only becomes concerned when Trump does. The virus is clearly out of control."

Trump, a Republican, traveled to Florida on Friday for an event at the U.S. military's Southern Command and a campaign fundraiser.

Read Also: Doctors, teachers reject Trump's pressure to reopen U.S. schools

The president has sparred with state and local officials and teachers unions over the reopening of schools and said on Friday the Treasury Department would re-examine the tax-exempt status and funding of those that remain closed.

Trump previously vowed to cut federal funding to the schools and eject foreign students attending universities in the United States unless their schools offer in-person classes. Most education funds come from state and local coffers.

The number of confirmed U.S. infections is over 3 million, according to a Reuters tally, stoking fears that hospitals will be overwhelmed.

More than 133,000 Americans have died, a toll that experts warn will likely surge along with the rise in cases.

Overall, coronavirus cases are rising in 44 American states, based on a Reuters analysis of cases for the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks.

Editor: Anna Suci Perwitasari

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