Covid-19 coronavirus: Parties and funerals blamed for spikes in 21 states

Billy's Beach Cafe bartender Kristin Hanzich, left, talks to friend Peggy Gregory in Long Beach, New York, where customers could dine and drink outdoors as part of the state's reopening. Photo / AP

Birthday parties and funerals have been blamed for a coronavirus spike as figures showed 21 US states have seen a rise in cases in the last fortnight since the country began easing lockdown.

Health officials had warned that the US could be facing a second spike of the virus after Americans were pictured in their thousands sunning themselves on crowded beaches and swimming pools over the three-day weekend for Memorial Day on May 25.

More than a dozen states and the US territory of Puerto Rico have recorded their highest seven-day average of new cases since the pandemic began.

In at least nine states, hospitalisation rates have also seen a steady increase.

Texas had seen a decline in the number of new daily cases until May 25, when the numbers began to sharply rise once more.

US government to fund and conduct studies on three possible coronavirus vaccines, Dr. Anthony Fauci says https://t.co/WfCyUOuvrd pic.twitter.com/FHbG4mN1mO

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Governor Greg Abbott allowed businesses including hair salons to reopen from early May, with gyms and swimming pools allowed to reopen from May 18.

Figures from the most recent day, June 9, show the state reported 1945 new cases, up from 445 on May 25. Yesterday, the state also reported record numbers of virus-related hospitalisation rates for the third consecutive day, with 2153 patients in hospital. Hospitalisations have now risen by 42 per cent since Memorial Day.

At the weekend, Florida reported 1426 new cases, its highest number since early April. Governor Ron DeSantis has played down suggestions that the spike is linked to his early efforts to reopen businesses, instead pointing to higher testing rates.

Even for a huge country like Brazil, where everything is always bigger than the rest of South America, these numbers are simply staggering. https://t.co/ysvfh4XlPK

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Officials in California, which began reopening in early May and has reported record numbers of new cases in recent days, said family gatherings such as birthday parties and funerals were driving the increase.

Dr Olivia Kasirye, the health officer for Sacramento County, said that despite state orders banning such gatherings, the reopening of restaurants, shops and hair salons had given a false sense of safety.

It comes as demonstrators have taken to the streets ignoring social distancing to protest against police brutality, sparking fears the number of new cases could rise higher still.

Dr Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, said: "It's a perfect set-up for further virus spread."