US Passes 2 Million COVID Cases As States See Spikes

Reuters reports:

The United States surpassed 2 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, as rising hospitalizations in states such as Texas and Arizona prompt fears about reopening the country.

As of Thursday morning, the U.S. had reported nearly 113,000 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to a Johns Hopkins University database. Many states have gradually lifted restrictions on businesses and mass gatherings in the intervening months, as the rate of infection slows in parts of the U.S.

But COVID-19 hospitalizations have spiked in states such as Texas, Arizona, Arkansas and North Carolina. Health authorities in Texas on Wednesday reported a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations for the third consecutive day.