The United States has been recording thousands of new COVID-19 cases daily and a top national health expert said he won't be surprised if the numbers spike to 100,000.
Fauci Not Surprised if Daily Cases Reach 100,000
U.S. anti-coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci told Senate members on Tuesday that it won't be a surprise to him of the country records up to 100,000 daily cases in the coming days.
Fauci further expressed concern about how crowds are still gathering without wearing masks and many people are still not adhering to the government guidelines regarding economic reopening.
"We're going to continue to be in a lot of trouble, and there's going to be a lot of hurt if that does not stop," Fauci warned as he spoke before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Regarding whether COVID-19 in the country has been controlled, Fauci said he is "not satisfied with what's going on." He said the country is not on the right track and further steps have to be taken "quickly" to tame the novel coronavirus.
While Fauci did not provide an estimate due to the spiking cases in several American states, he warned that until the pandemic is done with, the situation will be "very disturbing."
Texas Reports Nearly 7,000 New Cases
Texas on Tuesday logged over 6,900 new coronavirus cases, marking a record-high daily increase in new infections in the state.
Before news of the spike in new cases came, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the suspension of elective surgeries in the following counties: Webb, Hidalgo, Nueces, and Cameron.
Abbott's move came amid efforts to ensure that there will be enough hospital beds available for COVID-19 patients as the state adds more cases by the day.
Previously the following Texas counties were also ordered to suspend elective procedures for the meantime: Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
Only Two States Recorded Declines in the Past Week
During the weekend, it was reported that only Rhode Island and Connecticut have recorded significant declines in new COVID-19 infections.
In 36 states across the country, spikes in new cases have been reported over the last week. The states include Florida, one of the recently hard-hit areas.
Furthermore, health authorities have warned of significant infections among younger people, breaking the initial rise in cases among older people and vulnerable patients who have existing health issues.
Florida Gov. Reiterates Not Closing Down
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday reiterated that the state will not be "going back to closing things" despite warnings from health experts about the rising cases in the state.
Speaking with the media, DeSantis pointed out that the state's economic reopening is not causing a spike in new cases across the state. He instead cited social interactions among younger Florida residents who may be violating social distancing guidelines.
Florida added 6,093 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, as reported by the local Department of Health. The state now has a total of 152,434 confirmed cases. There also 58 new fatalities on Tuesday, bringing the state's death toll to 3,505.
As of Tuesday, the United States reported a total of 2,727,996 confirmed coronavirus cases and 130,123 deaths from the fast-spreading disease after there were 44,358 new infections in the last 24 hours.
