WHO REPORTS LARGEST SINGLE DAY GLOBAL INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS CASES:The World Health Organization reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases globally on Sunday (June 21st), more than 183,000 new cases in 24 hours. The U.S., with 36,617 new daily cases, was second only to Brazil, which had 54,771 new cases. Experts said the numbers reflect both spreading infection and more widespread testing. Overall, there have been more than 8,700,000 cases around the world, according to WHO and more than 461,700 deaths. The U.S. has the highest number of cases in the world, more than 2,279,000, and the highest death toll, more than 119,900, both according to Johns Hopkins University's count as of last night.
Overall, at least 23 U.S. states are trending upward in new cases compared to last week, and 10 of them had a more than 50 percent increase, according to the Johns Hopkins data. Many of those are Southern states, which were among the first to reopen, and as coronavirus outbreaks are worsening there, officials are saying more young people in their 20s and 30s are testing positive, with the shift younger being seen in states including Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Texas. Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday that because of the increase in cases he now believes the U.S. won't have waves of COVID-19 cases, but it will be, quote, "one very difficult forest fire" that won't slow down in the summer.
Here in Ohio... State officials say just three new deaths were reported Sunday, well below the 21 day average. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions remained below the 21 day average as well. There are nearly 45 thousand coronavirus cases in the state (when Dr Amy Acton predicted 8k - 10k cases per day back in March) with just over 7000 hospitalized.
TRUMP CRITICIZED FOR SAYING HE SAID TO SLOW DOWN TESTING, WHITE HOUSE SAYS WAS JOKING: President Trump was being criticized Sunday (June 21st) for saying at his Tulsa rally the night before that he'd wanted coronavirus testing slowed down. In the remarks, Trump called testing a "double-edged sword," saying, "When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people. You're going to find more cases! So I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please!'" The White House said in response to the criticism that Trump was joking. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro made similar comments on CNN'sState of the Union yesterday, calling Trump's remark "tongue-in-cheek." But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement, "The American people are owed answers about why President Trump wants less testing when experts say much more is needed." She stated, "The President’s efforts to slow down desperately needed testing to hide the true extent of the virus mean more Americans will lose their lives."