The United States has yet to end the first wave of coronavirus cases in the country and early into the supposed reopening of some states, new clusters have emerged.
Washington Reports Fraternity-House Linked Cluster
A statement from the Seattle and King County Public Health revealed on Thursday that a total of 66 people have so far contracted the novel coronavirus. The said cluster is linked to fraternity houses located north of the University of Washington's Seattle campus.
Of the total infected patients, four are merely contacts of residents who have tested COVID-19 positive. The rest are all residing in the fraternity houses in question.
The news came before Washington state officials announced that all applications for counties planning to move forward to the next phase of economic reopening will be postponed for at least two weeks.
Furthermore, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that he will sign a proclamation that prohibits businesses from providing services to customers who do not wear a face covering or face mask.
Inside the Fraternity Houses Cluster
The cluster was first reported on Tuesday, when at least 38 students were found to have contracted the novel coronavirus. The said students were living in 10 fraternity houses near the campus.
According to the latest data from the campus, there are around 1,000 students residing in 25 fraternity houses around the neighborhood of the UW campus. While none of the infected students have reported severe symptoms, extra care has been urged for fraternity house residents.
The school has also requested for asymptomatic patients to stay on isolation. Even those who may have been exposed to infected patients have been advised to self-quarantine or stay at home.
Aside from the fraternity house residents, there were also 34 staff members and seven faculty members who have since tested COVID-19 positive, marking one of the biggest clusters yet in a school setting.
Texas Orders Mandatory Face Covers
Meanwhile in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that requires residents to wear a form of face covering whenever they are in public areas.
The executive order is applicable for counties that has recorded 20 or more COVID-19 infections. The move came after new coronavirus cases in the state have increased over the past weeks.
Abbott said of the order that wearing face masks or covering in public areas "is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread" of the novel coronavirus in the state.
Shortly after Texas released the order, top White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said COVID-19 appears to have mutated and its mutation may have led to faster virus spreading in the country.
It remains to be seen how Fauci's latest comments will affect Texas and other states planning to move forward with an economic reopening.
As of Thursday, the United States logged a total of over 2,837,189 confirmed coronavirus cases and 131,485 deaths from the disease.
