Foreign Desk Report
WASHINGTON: The US topped 5 million cases of coronavirus early Sunday and as experts have highlighted before, the true number of infections could be many times higher.
The number means the country holds about a quarter of global cases of the virus and also tops the list with the most reported deaths in the world. Of the country’s 5,010,679 estimated cases, 162,555 have been deadly, according to data collected by John Hopkins University.
To put the number in perspective, that means the United States has had more Covid-19 cases than Ireland has people. The number of cases is also slightly higher than the entire population of Alabama.
To put the speed in which the number is growing in perspective: It took the country 99 days to reach 1 million, 43 days to hit 2 million, 28 days for 3 million and 15 days to surpass 4 million on July 23. The number has jumped to 5 million in 17 days. The pandemic shows no sign of slowing, and health officials have urged the use of face masks in public places and pleaded with residents to avoid social gatherings until the spread is under control.
Meanwhile, As of this week, five states account for more than 40% of US infections: California (with the most cases in the country), Florida, Texas, New York and Georgia. New York, once the country’s epicenter, has been surpassed by several states that have seen cases spikes in recent months. The state now reports a positivity rate — how many people are testing positive compared to how many were tested of about 0.93%, according to the governor’s office.
“Despite increasing infection rates across the country and in our region, we continue to see our numbers hold at low levels, all thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers to change their behavior and our data-driven, phased reopening,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Saturday.
California, reporting more than 7,000 cases Saturday for a total of more than 545,000, had a positivity rate of about 6% over the past two weeks, according to health officials. Hospitalizations across the state are dropping, and there are about 5,746 hospitalized patients down more than 1,000 from two weeks ago. In Texas, the governor extended his disaster declaration as the state reported its highest seven-day positivity rate: 19.41%.
