California overtook New York as the state with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases at more than 409,000 on Wednesday.
July 22 (UPI) — California overtook New York as the state with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases at more than 409,000 on Wednesday. Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracker indicated California had more than 409,000 cases as of Wednesday morning, slightly more than the 408,886 confirmed in New York. The fatality figures, though, paint a different story, with more than 72,000 deaths in New York and 7,890 in California. New York, which was the epicenter of the virus for several weeks, has managed to stem the spread of the disease, with a dramatic drop in hospitalizations. California, meanwhile, has seen an upswing. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state reported 12,807 new infections over the previous 24 hours, a new record high for the state. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said that because the West Coast state has more than double the population of New York, he doesn’t see «significance» in Wednesday’s milestone. «I look at every day as an opportunity to do more and do better with our response to COVID-19, and at the end, I really expect and hope that California is going to be the state that adapted the most, learned the most, prepared the best and that we are going to really reduce its impact.» Governors in Indiana and Ohio, meanwhile, announced new face covering mandates Wednesday. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an order requiring people to wear masks at all times in indoor public spaces and in outdoor spaces when social distancing isn’t possible.
