Medics transfer a patient on a stretcher from an ambulance outside of Emergency at Coral Gables Hospital where Coronavirus patients are treated in Coral Gables near Miami, on July 30, 2020. – Florida has emerged as a major new epicenter of the US battle against the disease, with confirmed cases recently surpassing New York and now second only to California. The state toll has leapt over the past week and more than 6,500 people have died from the disease there, according to health officials. More than 460,000 people have been infected with the virus in Florida, which has a population of 21 million, and a quarter of the state’s cases are in Miami. The US has tallied a total of 151,826 deaths from COVID-19, making it the hardest-hit country in the world. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
WASHINGTON, United States — The United States counted 61,262 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm Saturday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
It was the fifth consecutive day with more than 60,000 infections recorded, according to the Baltimore-based university. There were also 1,051 deaths in the 24-hour period.
The US has now tallied more than 4.6 million cases and 154,319 deaths, making it the hardest-hit country in the world.
The new numbers came as Florida braced for the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to strengthen back into a hurricane as it approached the southeastern part of the virus-ravaged state.
Among US states, only California, with almost double Florida’s population of about 21 million people, has registered more coronavirus cases.
On Saturday, Florida reported another 179 deaths, setting a new state record and pushing its virus death toll to 6,843.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said it’s better to “just hunker down rather than sending people to the road” — with shelters usually crowded and social distancing difficult — unless the situation became more threatening.