Deaths From COVID-19 Spike in Alabama, Florida and North Carolina

Alabama, Florida and North Carolina reported record daily increases in deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, grim new milestones that mark a second wave of infections surging across much of the United States.

Florida, which has become an epicenter of the new outbreak, reported 133 new COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, raising the state’s death toll to more than 4,500.

“We must all continue to do our part to protect Florida’s most vulnerable and avoid the 3 Cs: closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings,” Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on Twitter. “Safeguarding the elderly and those with underlying health conditions will continue to be our top priority.”

Mandi Hawke, who runs a small children’s book company from her home in Broward County near Fort Lauderdale, said she recently made her first trip to the local mall in months and was “horrified” by what she saw.

“Almost no one was wearing masks. I walked past an ale house and everyone was jammed in right next to each other, laughing and joking, having a good time but no masks,” said Hawke, 38. “As bad as things are in south Florida, I feel they’re only going to get worse. We are not getting a grip on this.”

Alabama reported a record spike of 40 deaths on Tuesday and North Carolina an increase of 35, bringing each state’s total to over 1,100.

The number of new U.S. cases reported daily began rising about six weeks ago, driven by increases in southern and western states. Texas saw a record 10,745 new cases on Tuesday.

SCHOOLS AT CENTER OF DEBATE

With more than 3.3 million cases, the United States has one of the highest rates of cases per capita in the world. With more than 135,000 deaths, it ranks seventh in fatalities per capita among the 20 countries with the most cases.

Deaths have begun rising for the first time since mid-April when comparing the weekly change in fatalities, according to a Reuters analysis.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday visited Louisiana, which reported nearly 13,000 new cases last week.