Some Sunbelt states reinstating lockdowns amid COVID-19 uptick

July 1, 2020 Amber Coakley US 0

FILE – In this March 29, 2020, file photo, a closure sign is placed at the entrance of a beach front parking lot in the Venice beach section of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is ordering L.A. County beaches closed from July 3 through July 6 at 5:00 a.m. to prevent dangerous crowding that results in the spread of deadly COVID-19. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:46 PM PT — Wednesday, July 1, 2020

As businesses reopen nationwide amid the ongoing pandemic, Sunbelt states are seeing a rise in positive coronavirus cases.

According to reports Tuesday, the states of Arizona, Texas and California are rescinding reopening measures by ordering closures of bars, gyms and beaches. This comes as newly reported infections in the U.S. reach approximately 40,000 per day.

CA’s response to #COVID19 is based on science.

That’s why we asked counties that are experiencing high transmission and positivity rates to close down bars & toggle back re-openings.

We will continue to monitor counties across the state & take appropriate action when necessary.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 29, 2020

Florida has reportedly also become an emerging epicenter of the virus with more than 6,000 new cases Tuesday. While certain counties in the state such as Palm Beach have shut down businesses and beaches, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) reiterated earlier statements that he would not implement such lockdowns statewide.

“We’re not going back closing things, I don’t think that that really is what’s driving it,” he stated. “I mean, people going to business is not what’s driving it.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis puts on his mask to protect against the new coronavirus as he leaves a news conference on COVID-19, Friday, June 19, 2020, at Florida International University in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

“I think when you see the younger folks, I think a lot of it is more just social interactions, so that’s natural,” DeSantis continued.

The Republican governor further implored young people to protect the state’s elderly population, echoing public health experts who emphasize voluntary compliance with safety guidelines as the best way to curb the virus’s spread.