Florida posts a record spike in COVID infections for the SECOND day and Texas towns begin imposing curfews as seven states see their highest daily rise in cases and the US death toll hits 125,000

• Texas towns have begun issuing curfews and stay-at-home orders again amid record spikes in virus cases 
• The US recorded 45,242 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the largest single-day increase of the pandemic
• Florida, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee and Idaho recorded largest spike in infections in a day on Friday 
• Florida on Saturday morning reported 9,585 new infections in the last 24 hours, a record high for a second day, and 24 additional deaths
• Governor Greg Abbott gave bars in Texas until midday on Friday to close down, while Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation told bars to stop serving alcohol on their premises
• The abrupt announcements marked a major step back by both states less than two months after aggressively reopening and becoming the first in the United States to lift lockdown measures  

By KAREN RUIZ and EMILY CRANE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM- 27 June 2020 

Texas cities have begun issuing curfews and stay-at-home orders again after bars in the state were forced to close on Friday for a second time due to a surge in coronavirus cases, as the number of new infections in the US hits an all-time high.

The US recorded 45,242 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the largest single-day increase of the pandemic after at least five states including Florida, Utah, Tennessee, Georgia and Idaho saw record spikes.

Underscoring the worsening spread of the virus, Florida on Saturday morning reported 9,585 new infections in the last 24 hours, marking a record high for a second day, and 24 additional deaths. 

Meanwhile Arizona and Nevada recorded daily highs for cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. 

The US death toll is now over 125,000, the highest in the world, with a total of 2.48million confirmed cases.  

The new record for positive COVID-19 tests is a troubling sign that the country is regressing in its fight against the pandemic as some regions that appeared to have avoided the worst are now seeing cases emerge at an alarming rate and worries have shifted from major cities to rural areas. 

Texas and Florida joined the small but growing list of states that are either backtracking or putting any further reopenings of their economies on hold because of a resurgence of the virus, mostly in the South and West.   

FLORIDA: Coronavirus cases reached a new high in Florida for a second day on Saturday. On Friday, state officials told bars to immediately stop serving alcohol on their premises after infections surged

FLORIDA: Miami residents out and about on Ocean Drive on Friday amid a surge in coronavirus cases 

TEXAS: Barstools are stacked at South Tyler Speakeasy in Tyler, TX,  as word reached the bar of Gov. Greg Abbott's morning announcement that bars must close at noon on Friday

TEXAS: A worker carries a piece of plywood in Austin after bars were forced to close for a second time as coronavirus infections continue to spread

FIVE STATES RECORD HIGHEST NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES IN SINGLE DAY ON FRIDAY

UTAH 

• 676 new positive tests on Friday - up from earlier record of 643 last weekend
• Two new deaths 
• 20,050 total confirmed cases 
• 1,321 total hospitalizations
• 166 total deaths 

Utah reported its highest number of COVID-19 cases on Friday with 676 new positive tests, up from 643 last weekend., and two deaths

TENNESSEE

• 1,410 new cases
• 10 new deaths
• 67 new hospitalizations (highest since early May)
• 13,114 confirmed cases
• 577 total deaths

Graph of Tennessee COVID-19 Case Count as of June 26, 2020

 GEORGIA  

• 1,900 new cases
• 25 new deaths
• 10,605 new hospitalizations (increase of 148 in 24 hours)
• 72,995 confirmed cases
• 2,770 total deaths

Graph of Georgia COVID-19 Cases over time from June 27, 2020

IDAHO 

• 283 new cases
• 5,148 total cases 
• 90 total deaths  

Graph of Idaho COVID-19 Case Count as of June 27, 2020

FLORIDA

• 9,585 new cases
• 24 new deaths
• 132,545 total cases 
• 3,390 total deaths

FLORIDA: On Saturday, the state reported 9,585 new infections in the last 24 hours, marking a record high for a second day, and 24 additional deaths. In total, the state has reported 132,545 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 3,390 coronavirus-related deaths so far

In a reversal of his early moves to relax restrictions, Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday ordered bars across the state to close and required restaurants to limit indoor seating capacity to 50 per cent, after the state had been among the first in the country to begin lifting its lockdown measures on May 1. 

He also said rafting and tubing outfitters on Texas' popular rivers must close and that outdoor gatherings of 100 people or more must be approved by local governments.  

Local governments within the state have since begun imposing restrictions again as they scramble to contain outbreaks. 

In Galena Park, a small city of 10,000 people on the outskirts of Houston, officials have implemented a curfew starting on Saturday night that will run from 10pm to 5am daily. 

Mayor Esmeralda Moya she was heeding a warning from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who on Friday raised the public threat level to its most severe, a sign people should shelter at home.

'It is crucial to continue to practice good hygiene, stay home as much as possible, avoid unnecessary trips, gatherings, and wear a face-covering at all times when you leave your home,' Moya said. 

Further south in Hidalgo County, located just above the Mexican border, officials imposed a curfew from 10pm to 6am and restricted mass gatherings to groups of ten or less on Thursday. 

County Judge Richard F. Cortez said the decision comes amid a 'concerning' number of new infections and residents neglecting coronavirus health measures. 

Texas has reported more than 17,000 confirmed new cases in the last three days with a record high positive tests of 5,996 on Thursday and 5,707 on Friday

TEXAS: Rafting and tubing outfitters on Texas' popular rivers were ordered to close and outdoor gatherings of 100 people or more must be approved by local governments 

TEXAS: Texas Governor Greg Abbott gave bars in the state until midday on Friday to close down as officials scramble to contain outbreaks amid record spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Pictured above is the crowded Handlebar in Houston, Texas last month

'It appears that despite the rise in infections, that residents have not taken proper precautions in protecting their friends and family from this disease,' Cortez said in a release.

Texas reported more than 17,000 new cases in the past three days, with a record high of 5,996 on Thursday followed by another 5,707 on Friday. 

The second-largest state also sets records daily for hospitalizations, surpassing 5,000 coronavirus patients for the first time Friday. 

Until now, Abbott had pursued one of the most aggressive reopening schedules of any governor. 

The Republican not only resisted calls to order masks be worn but also refused until last week to let local governments take such measures. 

'As I said from the start, if the positivity rate rose above 10 per cent, the State of Texas would take further action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,' Abbott said. 

'At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars.' 

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, a Democrat who is the county's top official, criticized Abbott for ignoring experts' advice and not acting fast enough in implementing restrictions to help contain outbreaks. 

'The doctors told us at the time, and told anyone who would listen, this will be a disaster. And it has been,' Jenkins said. 

VIRGINIA: Residents bask in the sun and lay out on the sand at Chincoteague beach on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic

VIRGINIA: Beachgoers enjoy the sunshine in Chicoteague despite the ongoing pandemic still ravaging the country

The state's rolling infection rate hit nearly 12 percent, a level not seen since the state was in a broad lockdown in mid-April. 

Abbott quickly struck a newly urgent tone this week, urging people to stay home while warning that a 'massive outbreak' is sweeping through Texas.

He has also now urged Texans to wear masks in public but stopped short of issuing a statewide mask order. 

Florida, another state that reopened its economy relatively quickly, also ordered bar owners to immediately stop serving alcohol on their premises on Friday after the daily number of new confirmed cases neared 9,000, almost doubling the record set just two days earlier.

In total, Florida has 132,545 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 3,390 coronavirus-related deaths so far.

Governor Ron DeSantis has been lifting restrictions more slowly than a task force recommended but has allowed theme parks to reopen, encouraged professional sports to come to Florida and pushed for the GOP convention to be held in the Sunshine State. 

He joined other Republicans who claimed the uptick has come from an increase in testing.  

However, the Miami Herald reports that through June 3, new cases had consistently trended upwards since mid-May, and the influx could not be attributed solely to increased testing.

DeSantis also blamed new cases on 'overwhelmingly Hispanic laborers,' because of migrant workers forced to live and work in cramped conditions. Farm workers' associations hit back at the governor, saying he has repeatedly ignored their pleas to help the vulnerable demographic.

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