Trump-Urged Reopenings Fuel Surges as the Administration Tries to Gaslight the Nation
As coronavirus cases surge across the country, President Trump and his administration have tried to gaslight Americans by suggesting that spikes are merely the result of more testing, and that the nation is not experiencing a “second wave.”
On the latter point, the administration is correct: the United States is not experiencing a second wave — but only because the first wave never ended.
Recent spikes instead reflect a deepening crisis of the administration’s own making. In urging states to reopen before they were ready, President Trump and his allies exacerbated the first wave of the pandemic – resulting in a burgeoning caseload, climbing hospitalizations, and catastrophic economic consequences.
Cases Continue to Surge in States That Led Trump’s Push to Reopen
National
Arizona, Florida, And Oklahoma All Reported Record Increases In New Cases On June 15 After Recording All-Time Highs The Week Prior.
- “Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma all reported record increases in new cases on Tuesday after recording all-time highs last week. Nevada also reported its highest single-day tally of new cases on Tuesday, up from a previous high on May 23.” [Reuters. 6/16/20]
CIDRAP: COVID-19 Hot Spots Emerge In South, Southwest
Becker’s Hospital Review: COVID-19 Activity By Region: Cases Rise In South, West
Reuters: COVID-19 Cases Surging In Alabama, South Carolina And Oklahoma
Alabama
On June 15th, Hospitals Across Alabama Were Hitting All Time Highs In Hospitalizations.
- “The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery and Decatur has hit all-time highs this month, filling beds and taxing staff as the state struggles with a wave of new cases… Cases are surging in Alabama. The department of public health reported record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases in recent days, with more than 1,000 cases added on Sunday. The average number of patients hospitalized with coronavirus in Alabama also hit a high yesterday of 617, up about 100 people from May 31.” [Al.com, 6/16/20]
For The Week Ending June 14, New Cases In Alabama Rose 97 Percent, While The Positive Test Rate Rose To 14 Percent From 6 Percent In The Prior Week.
- “Alabama’s new cases rose 97% to 5,115 for the week ended June 14, with 14% of COVID-19 tests coming back positive compared to 6% in the prior week, according to the analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak.” [Reuters, 6/16/20]
WHNT: Alabama Sees Largest Surge In Covid-19 Cases Since March
Al.com: Birmingham Sees New High In Coronavirus Hospitalizations At UAB
Al.com: Hospitals In Several Alabama Cities Now Seeing All-Time Highs In Coronavirus Patients
Arizona
On June 14, Just A Single Intensive Care Unit Bed Designated For COVID-19 Patients Remained Open At The Tucson Medical Center, With The 19 Other Beds Filled.
- “At the Tucson Medical Center on Monday, just a single intensive care unit (ICU) bed designated for COVID-19 patients was available, with the other 19 beds filled, a hospital representative said, adding they were working to increase capacity.” [Reuters, 6/16/20]
- “‘ICU to be expanded, hopefully, in coming days,’ Dr. Steven Oscherwitz, an infectious disease expert at the hospital, said in a tweet on Monday night. ‘Not sure where people needing ICU care will be able to go, since most AZ (Arizona) hospitals are pretty full now.’” [Reuters, 6/16/20]
Business Insider: The Coronavirus Outbreak In Arizona Is Going Very Badly
Arizona Republic: ‘I Am Taken Aback’: Here’s Why Arizona’s COVID-19 Trajectory Is Concerning
Arizona Republic: Arizona Reports Record-High Number Of New COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations
Los Angeles Times: Partygoers Have Been Packing Arizona Bars. Now The State Is A Coronavirus Hot Spot
The Hill: Coronavirus Is ‘Spreading Like Wildfire’ In Arizona, State Representative Says
Forbes: Arizona Sets Record For New Coronavirus Cases—Tops Old Record By Almost 45%
Florida
On June 16th, Florida Reported 2,783 New Cases Of Coronavirus, Their Highest Single Day Total Of Coronavirus Cases Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic.
- “Florida’s Department of Health on Tuesday morning confirmed 2,783 additional cases of COVID-19, setting another daily total record high since the start of the pandemic. The state now has a total of 80,109 confirmed cases. Previously, the highest daily total recorded was on Saturday when 2,581 cases were reported. There were also 55 new deaths announced Tuesday, raising the statewide death toll to 2,993.” [Miami Herald, 6/16/20]
Miami Herald: Florida Sees A Record 2,783 Daily Coronavirus Cases As State Total Hits 80,000
The Hill: Florida Sees Record-Breaking Number Of New Coronavirus Cases
Louisiana
Coronavirus Hospitalizations In Louisiana Increased For The Third Day In A Row — The First Time The State Has Reported A Three Day Increase Since April.
- “Hospitalizations due to the coronavirus disease in Louisiana rose for the third straight day Tuesday, the first time the state has reported a three day rise of patients since the height of the outbreak there in April. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, there are now 588 patients in hospitals across the state with COVID-19, an increase of 20 patients compared to Monday’s update. That total is also 40+ patients more than the lowest level recorded (542), which was reported Saturday.” [WWLTV, 6/16/20]
WWLTV: Louisiana COVID-19 Hospitalizations Increase For A Third Straight Day
Missouri
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri’s Coronavirus Caseload Is Becoming More Rural
- “The share of coronavirus infections born in rural Missouri is rising, and now accounts for about 30% of the state’s new cases — a greater portion than ever before. The seven-day average of daily new cases in outstate Missouri, beyond the St. Louis and Kansas City metro regions, has generally been under 50. But since the middle of May, a gradual climb has pushed the pace to about 65 new cases a day. Some rural counties have seen their per-capita rates of infection shoot past those in St. Louis and Kansas City.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/16/20]
Associated Press: St. Louis Area Starts To Open Up, But Cases On Rise In KC
Kansas City Star: COVID-19 Cases In KC Metro Continue To Climb; Doctors Warn About Lax Precautions
North Carolina
Raleigh News & Observer: Reported Hospitalizations From Coronavirus Set Another Single-Day High In North Carolina
- “One trend of concern: hospitalizations. The numbers released Tuesday by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services showed 829 people currently in hospitals, a one-day high in the state. The previous high was 823 on Saturday.” [Raleigh News & Observer, 6/16/20]
Oklahoma
On June 14, Oklahoma Reported A 7.7 Percent Increase In Coronavirus Cases, The Highest In The U.S.
- “Shortly after the Trump campaign again insisted its first campaign rally since March would go ahead in Tulsa this weekend, it was reported that Oklahoma confirmed 591 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a 7.7% increase and the highest in the US.” [The Guardian, 6/16/20]
New Cases In Oklahoma Rose 68 Percent In The Second Week Of June While The Positive Test Rate Increased To 4 Percent From 2 Percent The Previous Week.
- “In Oklahoma, where President Donald Trump plans to hold an indoor campaign rally on Saturday, new cases rose 68% to 1,081 in the second week of June, while the positive test rate increased to 4%, from 2% the previous week.” [Reuters, 6/16/20]
The Guardian: Oklahoma Coronavirus Rate Surges As Trump Rally Nears
South Carolina
Coronavirus Cases In South Carolina Nearly Doubled In The Second Week Of June, Compared To The Prior Seven Days.
- “New cases of COVID-19 nearly doubled in Alabama and South Carolina in the second week of June compared to the prior seven days, a Reuters analysis found, as 17 U.S. states reported weekly increases in the spread of the novel coronavirus.” [Reuters, 6/16/20]
For The Week Ending June 14, New Cases In South Carolina Rose 86 Percent, While The Positive Test Rate Rose To 14 Percent From 9 Percent In The Prior Week.
- “Alabama’s new cases rose 97% to 5,115 for the week ended June 14, with 14% of COVID-19 tests coming back positive compared to 6% in the prior week, according to the analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak. New cases in South Carolina rose 86% to 4,509, while the positive test rate rose to about 14% from 9% over the same period, according to the analysis and state data.” [Reuters, 6/16/20]
Tennessee
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center In Nashville Has Seen A 30 Percent Increase In Hospitalizations Since Early June.
- “Driven by an uptick in the Chattanooga and Memphis areas, the state has seen a pronounced rise this month in the number of COVID-19 patients who require hospitalization, according to a report released Tuesday afternoon by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. On Monday, the number hit 415. That’s the highest single-day number so far. It’s been going up this month – 30 percent since early June, according to the medical center… If the growth rate keeps up, the state could hit 1,000 daily hospitalizations in four to six weeks, the report said.” [WBIR, 6/16/20]
On June 15, Tennessee Reached Their Highest Number Of Coronavirus Hospitalizations Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic.
- “A new report from Vanderbilt University warns that the number of COVID-19 patients in Tennessee’s hospitals has hit its highest level ever, and that spikes in Memphis and Chattanooga are making a big contribution to that dangerous increase. ‘Across the state, around 400 patients were concurrently hospitalized between June 7-13 — a rise of nearly 30% from a week earlier,’ the new report says. The report says the situation hasn’t yet developed into an emergency, but should be monitored closely.” [Commercial Appeal, 6/16/20]
WBIR: Report: Hospitalizations From Virus On The Rise In Tennessee
Commercial Appeal: Number Of COVID-19 Patients In Tennessee Hospitals Is Highest Ever, Vanderbilt Study Says
Texas
On June 15, Texas Recorded Its Highest Daily Number Of Hospitalizations For The 4th Day In A Row.
- “On Monday, Texas recorded its highest daily number of patients hospitalized due to the coronavirus — for the fourth day in a row. The record-breaking numbers come as the state continues to reopen its economy. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services reported 2,326 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients who are currently in Texas hospitals, bypassing the previous record high on Sunday of 2,287. There are currently 51,365 total staffed hospital beds in the state, with 14,525 hospital beds available. Only 1,626 beds in Intensive Care Units are currently available in the state.” [CBS News, 6/16/20]
- “‘Think of hospitalizations as that part of the iceberg that you can see that is above the water,’ he said. ‘Below the water are all the people who are sick but that are not yet in the hospital. The iceberg below the water is obviously far greater than the iceberg above it and a small increase in hospitalizations indicates a larger increase in illness.’” [Dallas Morning News, 6/15/20]
CBS News: Texas Reports Highest Number Of Hospitalized Coronavirus Patients Since Outbreak Began
Dallas Morning News: Rising Coronavirus Hospitalizations Are Just The Tip Of The Iceberg, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins Says
CNBC: Texas Coronavirus Hospitalizations Hit New High, Ep 66% Since Memorial Day
Local Leaders Slow Reopenings in Defiance of Trump After Cases Surge
ABC News: Miami Pauses Reopening As Florida’s New Coronavirus Cases Rise
- “Miami, among Florida’s most populous cities, won’t move into the next phase of reopening because of concern over rising COVID-19 cases, Mayor Francis Suarez announced at a Monday news conference… When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s stay-at-home order expired May 4, there were roughly 680 cases being diagnosed each day in the state. As of June 14, Florida’s seven-day rolling average for new COVID-19 infections, which accounts for fluctuations in the number of cases, was 1,661 per day. On Tuesday, Florida reported a record-high one-day increase of 2,783.” [ABC News, 6/16/20]
Business Insider: Austin Extended Its Stay At Home Order Until August After A Spike In Coronavirus Cases
Politico: Summer Setback: Cities Put Brakes On Reopening As Virus Spikes Again
- “Sharp spikes in coronavirus cases are prompting governors and mayors in Oregon, Utah and Tennessee to pause reopening plans, while officials in Houston and elsewhere are warning of the potential need for new restrictions… The Trump administration, eager for an economic reboot, has downplayed the recent spike in coronavirus cases and attributed it to an expansion of testing and virus tracing. However, public health experts say increasing hospitalizations and positivity rates for coronavirus tests are worrying signals the virus is spreading in some of the first areas to open up over a month ago.” [Politico, 6/12/20]
Newsweek: Florida Bars Are Shutting Down Again After New Positive Coronavirus Cases
The Hill: Oregon, Utah Pause Reopening Amid Coronavirus Spikes