U.S. states hit highs in coronavirus cases, Miami-Dade enacts curfew

A sign informing about South Beach closure, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is seen ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S., July 3, 2020.

Washington, United States - North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alaska all saw new daily highs in confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Alabama and several other states reported record increases in coronavirus cases on Friday as Florida's most populous county imposed a curfew ahead of the Independence Day weekend and Arkansas joined a push towards mandating mask-wearing in public.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alaska all saw new daily highs in confirmed cases of Covid-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, while Florida's caseload came in just below the prior day's record high.
The recent surge in cases, most pronounced in southern and western states, has alarmed public health officials, who urged caution ahead of a July 4th holiday weekend that in normal times would feature big gatherings of families and friends.
North Carolina reported 951 hospitalisations and 2,099 cases, marking a new record for the first time in three weeks.
"Highest new case count, highest hospitalisations, highest percent positive since end of April. Please be cautious this holiday weekend," Betsy Tilson, North Carolina state health director, wrote on Twitter about Friday's figures.
Despite the jump in infections, the daily death rate in the United States has remained relatively flat, a reflection of the growing proportion of positive tests among younger people who tend to be healthier and less prone to severe outcomes.
However, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned that the impact on fatalities from the recent surge, which started in mid-June, had yet to be seen. "Deaths lag at least two weeks and can lag even more," he told "Fox & Friends" on Friday.
His remarks came hours ahead of a trip by President Donald Trump to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota where he is due to deliver a speech to thousands of supporters and view a fireworks display at the landmark, which depicts four U.S. presidents in stone.
The visit has drawn criticism from Native Americans, who say the remote area is sacred to them, as well as health experts who discourage large gatherings. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who like Trump is a Republican, said earlier this week that people would not be social distancing at the event.
Trump, whose handling of the pandemic has come under harsh criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, has repeatedly sought to dismiss the jump in cases as a function of more testing and again this week said he thought the virus would "disappear."
"There is a rise in Coronavirus cases because our testing is so massive and so good, far bigger and better than any other country," Trump wrote on Twitter late on Thursday.

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