One day before an election in which the coronavirus pandemic has consistently ranked as the most important issue before voters, several battleground states are seeing their highest average in new cases.
Overall, the nation is averaging 81,336 new Covid-19 cases per day, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 231,000 Americans are known to have died from the disease.
Here’s a look at several battleground states:
Arizona currently averages 1,330 new Covid-19 cases per day, and new cases are up 33% from last week, according to JHU. Cases dropped significantly in September when the state averaged as low as 549 new cases per day, and hospitalizations had also greatly decreased from the summer, but they are now surging, according to The Covid Tracking Project. Currently, Arizona averages 872 hospitalizations a day, which is up 8% from last week. Recently, Arizona was added to the growing list of states on the New York travel advisory list. Arizona has no statewide mask mandate in place.
Florida currently averages 4,111 new Covid-19 cases per day, up 22% from last week, according to JHU. Florida has averaged over 1,000 new cases per day for a staggering 149 days, since June 6. The Sunshine State recently became the third state to surpass 800,000 total Covid-19 cases, it now has the third-highest cumulative case count and the fourth highest death count in the nation, according to Johns Hopkins. The state has no statewide mask mandate.
Michigan is at its peak of new cases, reporting roughly 3,113 new cases per day over the last seven days, which is up 50% from last week. Hospitalizations across the state are not close to their height back in April, when at one point they nearly averaged 4,000 a day, but they have surpassed 1,000 daily since October 15, according to CTP. Michigan requires face masks in public places statewide.
North Carolina is at its peak of new cases, reporting roughly 2,370 new cases per day over the last seven days, up 18% from last week. Hospitalizations average 1,183 patients a day, according to CTP, nearly even with where the state was over the summer. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said the state will remain in Phase 3 of reopening — which, among other things, limits the size of mass gatherings and shutters indoor seating at bars — as cases and hospitalizations started to rise over the last few weeks. North Carolina requires face masks in public places statewide.
The state is averaging 2,243 new cases per day, according to JHU. This is the most recorded in the state, and it is up 31% from last week. Hospitalizations have been sharply increasing across the state since the end of September, CTP data shows. Right now, the state averages 1,214 current hospitalizations, up 21% from last week. Pennsylvania requires face masks in public places statewide.
Wisconsin is averaging 4,385 new cases per day, down 4% from last week, according to JHU data. Deaths across the state are also the highest they have ever been since the pandemic began, with 38 average daily deaths over the last seven days. Hospitalizations in the state are the highest they have been since the start of the pandemic. The seven-day average of current hospitalizations is 1,455 patients, up 19% from last week. Wisconsin requires face masks in public places statewide.
Here’s a look at the situation in some other key states:
The Peach State averages 1,580 new Covid-19 cases per day, according to Johns Hopkins, up 7% from the previous week. Georgia has averaged over 1,000 new cases per day for the past 135 days. With a moving average of new cases per 100,000 of 14.88, the state is below the national average of 24.8, according to JHU data. After peaking in the summer, hospitalizations across the state have leveled out, according to CTP. Right now, the state averages 1,752 hospitalizations per day. Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, just extended Covid-19 restrictions through November 9. Georgia has no statewide mask mandate.
Iowa is at its peak 7-day average of new cases right now — 2,105 new Covid-19 cases per day, according to JHU. The state is up 65% from the previous week, and it’s one of 30 other states that reported its highest single day of new Covid-19 cases during the month of October. Iowa is in the top five states with the highest number of new cases per capita. Right now, the state reports roughly 66.72 new cases per 100,000 residents. Hospitalizations in the state have never been higher, according to CTP. For the first time during the pandemic, on Sunday, Iowa reported over 700 hospitalizations. Right now, the state averages 611 hospitalizations per day. The state has no statewide mask mandate.
Nevada averages 825 new Covid-19 cases per day, up 6% from the previous week. According to JHU, the state has averaged over 400 cases per day for the entire month of October. Though hospitalizations have not hit levels seen at their peak over the summer, this metric is on the rise, according to CTP, and the state averages 574 hospitalizations per day. Last month, Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak said, “We’re beginning — just beginning — to see an alarming trend in the number of cases and hospitalizations in Nevada.” Face masks are required in public places statewide.
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Ohio is at its peak for the average of new cases per day, tallying 2,984 new cases, up 28% from the previous week. The state is setting record hospitalizations on a daily basis, according to CTP. Ohio has reported over 1,000 hospitalizations every day for 20 days, with the state averaging 1,559 current hospitalizations right now. Ohio requires face masks in public places statewide.
Texas averages 6,401 new cases per day, according to Johns Hopkins, the highest average in the nation. Cases are up 18% from the previous week. Texas has averaged over 5,000 cases for the past 10 days, and is the first in the nation for cumulative cases and second for cumulative deaths. Per capita, Texas has 22.08 cases per 100,000 residents, which is slightly below the national average. Hospitalizations are rising across the state, currently averaging 5,577 a day, up 15% from last week, according to CTP. Masks are required in public places statewide.
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