Increase in COVID-19 Cases in 22 States... Concerns Over 2nd Wave in the US

Infection Spread in 'Sunbelt' Including California and Texas
New York Governor Warns of Shutdown if Economic Reopening Rules Are Violated
Federal Government Encourages Return to Work Policies

On the 14th (local time), a protest against racial discrimination took place in LA, California, USA.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The damage caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the United States is increasing again, centered on the so-called 'Sun Belt' states such as Arizona, Texas, and Florida. As the number of infected and hospitalized patients surges, concerns are resurfacing about whether the economy will have to be locked down again.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 14th (local time), over the weekend, the number of COVID-19 patients increased in 22 states across the U.S. In Texas, more than 2,000 new infections have been reported daily recently, bringing the cumulative number of infected people to 87,739 as of that day. Patients are steadily increasing mainly in Houston, the state's largest city, as well as San Antonio and Dallas. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson expressed concern, saying, "It is very worrying," but also showed a difficult stance, noting that due to residents' fatigue, it is becoming difficult to further recommend preventive measures such as wearing masks.

In Florida, a daily record of 2,600 infections was reported on the 13th, the day before, and in Arizona, the number of infected people has nearly doubled from 775 per day a month ago to over 1,400 recently. The NYT expressed concern, stating, "COVID-19 infections are significantly increasing in the Sun Belt region." In addition, California, the most populous state in the U.S., recorded the third-highest number of COVID-19 patients in the country, following New York and New Jersey.

The increase in infections in these regions is analyzed to be related to the early resumption of economic activities. The early lowering of alert levels due to initially low infections led to the spread of the virus.

The total number of infections in the U.S. is also on the rise. According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of new infections in the U.S., which had dropped to 17,000 per day on the 8th, increased to about 25,000 on that day. The cumulative number of infected people in the U.S. is 2,093,335, with 115,645 deaths.

New York State, which is accelerating economic reopening, is not lowering its guard. On this day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, "Yesterday, there were only 23 COVID-19 deaths," but added, "However, we received 25,000 reports of violations related to economic reopening, such as not wearing masks or social distancing. If businesses and people do not comply with the regulations, we will impose a shutdown (temporary suspension of operations) again," warning of possible measures.

Despite these concerns, the U.S. government is pushing forward with economic recovery. Policies to support the early return of unemployed workers to the workplace are also being considered. Larry Kudlow, Chairman of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), appeared on a broadcast that day and said, "We are considering providing $600 in cash to those returning to work." The policy of adding $600 to weekly unemployment benefits is scheduled to end on the 31st of next month. The aim is to promote job returns and achieve a V-shaped economic recovery.

Bloomberg Economics estimated that about 30% of the unemployed between February and May would be affected by structural changes in the industry. Despite government efforts, many people are expected to face long-term unemployment.

Robert Kaplan, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, mentioned the uneasy racial conflict issue that day, stating, "If Black and Hispanic communities are not treated equally, economic growth will inevitably be delayed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.