The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. continues to skyrocket, and the surgeon general says the epidemic hasn’t peaked here yet. Delays at the federal level have left many state and local health authorities racing to catch up, with backlogs of people waiting to be tested for the COVID-19 disease.
There were more than 1,000 cases in the U.S. as of Wednesday, eight times more than just a week earlier. At least 32 people have died of the virus nationwide, and there are cases in 37 states — 15 of which have declared emergencies — and Washington D.C.
In origin country China, there was mounting evidence that strict control measures pay off. Premier Xi Jinping has declared the disease “basically curbed,” and with only about 10 new domestic infections reported in China on Wednesday, other countries were adopting similar tactics.
Italy has the biggest outbreak outside China, with more than 600 dead and 10,000 infections. The whole nation is under travel restrictions, with stricter controls in hard-hit northern regions.
New York state has taken dramatic action to contain one of the largest known virus clusters in the U.S., setting up a “containment area” of about three square miles around the city of New Rochelle, less than 10 miles from the heart of Manhattan. There were at least 108 confirmed cases there alone.
With a surge in Iran overnight, there were more than 120,000 cases worldwide, and more than 4,300 people have died. The vast majority of cases are mild, and almost half of those infected have already recovered.
For detailed information on coronavirus prevention and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here.