Coronavirus: concern about accelerating epidemic in California

Audio 01:19

Text by: RFI Follow

The United States registered 38,000 new cases on Wednesday alone, a record in the country. As in Texas, Arizona or Florida, the situation is worrying in California. New infections jumped 69% at the start of the week, and no county in the country has as many positive cases as Los Angeles.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Los Angeles, Loïc Pialat

Long Beach is almost empty. There is no one at least 20 meters from Stéphanie. The young woman does not want to take off her mask. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, California registered more than 7,000 new cases of coronavirus. A 24 hour record. "  Lots of people go to the beach, especially on weekends," says Stephanie. We do not know what remains as germs. I think there are going to be a lot of cases. It is scary. "

Andrew is also afraid. So even if it is not practical, he keeps his mask during his bike ride along the ocean. Los Angeles County accounts for more than half of the 5,800 deaths in California. "  We continue to reopen the economy when there are more and more cases," notes this student. Suddenly, I'm a little more worried. "

►Read also: Covid-19: worrying resurgence of cases in the southern United States

The authorities had warned that the reopening of the economy would no doubt be accompanied by an increase in new cases. They may not have expected such an increase. "  I don't think the numbers are right now," said Timothy Brewer, professor of epidemiology at UCLA University. They are disturbing. Firstly because the cases have never dropped but also because for the past few days, especially in Los Angeles County, hospitalizations have started to rise again. "

In California as elsewhere, the fight against the coronavirus goes through screening. Governor Gavin Newsom says his state can test up to 100,000 people a day.

Yesterday CA conducted over 100k # COVID19 tests.

Positivity rate:
- 5.1% over 14 days
- 5.6% over 7 days

Yesterday we had a high of 7,149 new cases.

Today, that dropped to 5,349 - still higher than it should be.

CA - WEAR A MASK. Wash your hands. Practice physical distancing.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• United States
• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine

On the same subject

The decline in unemployment slowed in the United States by the pandemic

REPORTAGE

Covid-19: disturbing resurgence of cases in the southern United States

Coronavirus in the United States: Anthony Fauci worried about the resumption of the epidemic