US records 60,207 cases in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – The United States on Saturday recorded 60,207 new coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours, Johns Hopkins University reported in its real-time tally.

Volunteers dressed in personal protective gear assist people arriving at a walk-in test site in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 2020 as coronavirus cases have surged to record levels in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas in southern California. – The United States’ COVID-19 epidemic is once more blowing up at an exponential rate, even as leaders of some of the worst-hit states resist mandatory mask measures to stem the spread.
Health authorities reported 78,000 new cases on Thursday, according to the database run by Johns Hopkins University. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)

That put the total number of cases in the US, the nation hardest-hit by the global pandemic, at 3,698,209, the Baltimore-based university said at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Sunday).

Another 832 deaths were reported, bringing total fatalities to 139,960.

The latest numbers capped a week which saw the US set records in new cases for three consecutive days, topping out at 77,638 infections recorded on Friday.

The country has seen a resurgence of cases in the so-called Sun Belt, stretching across the south from Florida to California.

In Texas and Arizona, authorities are bringing in refrigerated trucks to cope with the body count.

The surge in cases has prompted some states to backtrack on loosening their anti-virus restrictions — or to reinstate tougher measures.

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© Agence France-Presse