Daily Coronavirus Cases Have Doubled in Both California and Texas Since Reopening in May

Daily novel coronavirus cases in California and Texas, the country's two largest states, have nearly doubled this month, from the daily case numbers recorded when the states began reopening in May, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On May 8 when California, the most populous U.S. state, began easing lockdown measures, the state reported around 1,600 new cases. A month since the reopening, the state recorded around 3,200 new cases on June 8, according to Johns Hopkins University. Texas, the country's second most populous state, began the first phase of its reopening on May 1, which saw 965 new cases on the day of the reopening. On several occasions in June, the daily case count nearly doubled the figure reported on May 1. The number of new cases was reported to be around 1,900 on both May 28 and June 6, while around 2,000 new infections were reported on May 31 and June 5. On June 8, Texas saw the highest number of hospitalizations since the outbreak began, with 1,935 COVID-19 related patients reported to be hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

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The state's seven day positive test rate also nearly doubled from May 26, the day after Memorial Day, when the rate was at 4.27 percent. Since then the rate has been on a mostly increasing trend and on June 7, the rate was reported to be at 7.11 percent, according to figures posted on the Texas DSHS. Both states are currently among the top 10 states with the most confirmed cases. California has the third-highest (133,816 cases), while Texas has the seventh-highest number (76,463 cases) of confirmed infections, as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. From June 12, California will reopen bars and other venues as part of phase three of its reopening. Schools, day camps, gyms, professional sports as well as television, film and music production will also resume operations from June 12 with restrictions in place. The third phase has also seen the reopening of churches, hair salons and barbers. The California state government website notes the state will "Monitor critical indicators and alter scope of reopening if necessary to protect public health and safety," in the third phase of the state's reopening. A selection of counties, including several in the Bay Area, have yet to be approved to move into phase three. Last week Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, announced the state would enter phase three of its reopening. From June 12, dine-in restaurants and some other businesses will also be allowed to operate at 75 percent capacity. Several states have seen a rise in new cases since reopening, including in Arizona, where the stay-at-home order expired on May 15. According to figures posted on the Arizona Department of Health Services website, the percentage of positive COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests reported in the week ending May 24 was nine percent. In the week ending May 31, the portion of positive tests was at 12 percent, double the figure reported in the week ending May 17. In the week ending June 7, the percentage of positive PCR tests was reported to be at 25 percent.

On Sunday, Oregon, where most of its counties have been approved for the second phase of reopening, reported its highest single-day rise in cases since the outbreak began. "Any reopening comes with risk," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement last Thursday. "That's just a fact of life right now. We need to reduce the risk that comes with reopening." The novel coronavirus, first reported in Wuhan, China, has spread to more than 7.1 million people across the globe, including over 1.9 million in the U.S. Over 407,000 have died following infection, while more than 3.3 million have reportedly recovered, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. The graphics below, provided by Statista, illustrate the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. and the worst-affected countries.

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