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July 7, 2020

Coronavirus Surges Across Country as Dr. Fauci Warns U.S. Still "Knee-Deep" in First Wave
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Hospitals in parts of Florida, Texas, Arizona and California are running
out of intensive care unit beds as coronavirus cases continue to surge.
In Texas, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has quadrupled over
the past month. In St. Petersburg, Florida, five hospitals have run out
of intensive care unit beds. In Miami, indoor restaurants have been
ordered to close again, less than two months after being reopened.
Nationwide, the death toll from COVID-19 has topped 130,000, and COVID
cases are rising in 41 states. At least 14 states have reported
single-day highs in cases recently. On Monday, the nation's top
infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned the United States
is still "knee-deep" in the first wave of the pandemic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci: "A series of circumstances associated with various
states and cities trying to open up, in the sense of getting back to
some form of normality, has led to a situation where we now have
record-breaking cases. Two days ago, it was at 57,500. So, within a
period of a week and a half, we've almost doubled the number of cases.
So, in answer to your first question, we are still knee-deep in the
first wave of this."

Dr. Fauci also said immunity provided by antibodies may be "finite" and
that protection from any potential vaccine might be short-lived.

The pandemic continues to hit communities of color the hardest. Newly
released federal data show African American and Latinx people are nearly
three times more likely to be infected and twice as likely to die from
the virus compared to their white neighbors.

In California, the top medical officer for the state's prison system has
been ousted following the death of six prisoners from COVID-19 at San
Quentin State Prison, where more than 1,300 prisoners have tested
positive.

Meanwhile, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced she has
tested positive for the virus.


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