Coronavirus watch: Southern states begin to see rise in cases

Southern states are beginning to see a surge in coronavirus cases just as other states in the northeast begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Kentucky, for example, saw its worst day so far in terms of new cases: the state added 231 cases, a 22 percent jump from the day before. They have now reported 1,289 confirmed cases and 66 deaths. Over the weekend Ketucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said the state could see a lack of medical supplies, adding that it’s “very hard” to compete with the federal government for those materials.

Georgia reported 1,598 new cases and 54 deaths Wednesday, the highest one-day spike the state has had thus far and a roughly 20 percent increase to its total from the day before. As of Wednesday afternoon, the state reported 9,901 confirmed cases and 362 deaths.  

West Virginia — which was once lauded by the president as the only state without cases — saw a more than 20 percent increase in cases Wednesday, bringing its total to 462 and four deaths as of Wednesday afternoon. When the state got its first case on March 17, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), notably said the state was not prepared for an outbreak.

Meanwhile Louisiana on Tuesday reported 70 more deaths, the highest jump it’s had in one day. As of Wednesday afternoon, the state now has reported over 17,000 confirmed cases and 652 deaths.

Though cases in the northeastern U.S. continue to show signs that they’re approaching apex, new reported cases remain high. 

New Jersey — the state with the second-highest number of cases in the country — reported the highest number of deaths in a 24-hour period Wednesday at 227. The state reported another 3,326 new cases, less than the day before and following a trend of less cases each day since Saturday. As of Wednesday afternoon, the state has reported 47,437 confirmed cases of the virus and 1,504 deaths.

As New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has warned, the path to a downward curve isn’t necessarily pleasant; the state reported its highest one-day death count yesterday at 779, climbing 17 percent in one day. The governor reported Wednesday morning that 6,268 New Yorkers have died from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.  

Cuomo noted fatalities are a “lagging indicator” of the outbreak because it coincides with less people being admitted to hospitals. 

Pennsylvania, which has reported over 1,200 new cases each days since Thursday, reported over 1,500 new cases Wednesday. It reported another 69 deaths Wednesday, two down from the record-high 71 deaths it reported the day before. The state now has 16,239 total confirmed cases and 309 deaths.

Meanwhile, some states with smaller populations have begun seeing a sudden spike in cases.

South Dakota, one of the handful of states that does not have a stay-at-home order in place, has reported over 20 new cases each day since the start of April. Though it has only reported 320 total cases and 6 deaths, the state has less resources to combat such a pandemic with proportionally larger populations and caseloads.

Reid Wilson contributed to this report.

Updated: 5:41 p.m.