Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
The expected increase in U.S. coronavirus deaths has started to occur.
Daily average for U.S. rises to 664 from 578
NEW YORK — A long-expected upturn in U.S. coronavirus deaths has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the South and West, according to data on the pandemic.
The number of deaths per day from the virus had been falling for months and even remained down as states like Florida and Texas saw explosions in cases and hospitalizations.
Scientists warned it wouldn’t last. A coronavirus death, when it occurs, typically comes several weeks after a person is first infected. And experts predicted states that saw increases in cases and hospitalizations would, at some point, see deaths rise too. Now that is happening.
“It’s consistently picking up. And it’s picking up at the time you’d expect it to,” said William Hanage, a Harvard
University infectious diseases researcher.
According to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily reported deaths in the U.S. has increased from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on July 10, still well below the heights hit in April.
Daily reported deaths increased in 27 states over that time period, but the majority of those states are averaging under 15 new deaths per day. A smaller group of states has been driving the nationwide increase in deaths.
California is averaging 91 reported deaths per day while Texas is close behind with 66, but Florida, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey and South Carolina also saw sizable rises. New Jersey’s recent jump is thought to be partially attributable to its less frequent reporting of probable deaths.
In other developments:
■ The new coronavirus continues to cut its record-setting swath through Texas as state officials reported a record 10,351 new cases for the day Saturday.
That brought the total cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, to just over a quarter-million dating to the start of tracking in early March.
■ The coronavirus outbreak in Arizona has produced 69 additional deaths and record numbers of hospitalizations, according to data released Saturday by state health officials.
The death toll increased to 2,151, and the state Department of Health Services reported 3,038 additional confirmed cases, increasing the state’s total to nearly 120,000.
■ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked all of its members in Utah to wear face coverings when in public, as confirmed infections in the state increase.
The Deseret News reported that the Utah Area Presidency sent the request in an email on Friday evening.
“Now we ask all Latter-day Saints in the Utah Area to be good citizens by wearing face coverings when in public,” the email said. “Doing so will help promote the health and general welfare of all.”