13 States Where Coronavirus Cases Have Jumped Over 20 Percent in a Week

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As novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. approach nearly four million, with over 142,000 deaths, 13 states have reported over 20 percent rises in new infections over the past couple of weeks, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The percentage increase for each state was calculated by comparing new cases numbers for the weeks of July 8-14 and July 15-21.

Mississippi saw the largest jump in the country over the last 14 days. The state reported a 7,982 new cases in the week July 15-21, a 50.6 percent increase on the 5,297 new cases reported the previous week.

Earlier this month, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced the state would be pausing any plans to reopen following a spike in cases.

"Things are getting worse, not better," he said at a news briefing. "It's not that our current rules are too loose. Our challenge is that our people aren't following even the simplest of rules. Additional orders are useless if people will not follow what we have in place now."

Over 14.9 million people across the globe have been infected since the virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, including 3.9 million in the U.S. More than 8.4 million globally have reportedly recovered from infection, while over 617,200 have died as of Wednesday, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.

New York City protest Manhattan June 2020
A protest leader gives instructions to the hundreds of people that are barricading the street with bikes and hundreds of people at City Hall in Manhattan, New York City on June 30, 2020. Getty Images

13 states where new COVID-19 cases spiked by over 20 percent

(according to case data from July 8 to 21 compiled by Johns Hopkins University)

1. Mississippi

Increase: 50.6 percent
July 15 to 21: 7,982 new cases
July 8 to 14: 5,297 new cases

2. Kentucky

Increase: 41.9 percent
July 15 to 21: 3,837
July 8 to 14: 2,704

3. Delaware

Increase: 40 percent
July 15 to 21: 777
July 8 to 14: 555

4. Missouri

Increase: 37.9 percent
July 15 to 21: 5,962
July 8 to 14: 4,322

5. Maryland

Increase: 36.7 percent
July 15 to 21: 5,285
July 8 to 14: 3,864

6. Nevada

Increase: 35.8 percent
July 15 to 21: 7,912
July 8 to 14: 5,826

7. Washington

Increase: 30.1 percent
July 15 to 21: 6,304
July 8 to 14: 4,845

8. Michigan

Increased: 29.8 percent
July 15 to 21: 5,146
July 8 to 14: 3,964

9. Idaho

Increase: 28.9 percent
July 15 to 21: 4,103
July 8 to 14: 3,181

10. Indiana

Increase: 28.8 percent
July 15 to 21: 5,231
July 8 to 14: 4,059

11. Maine

Increase: 24.6 percent
July 15 to 21: 157
July 8 to 14: 126

12. Virginia

Increase: 22.4 percent
July 15 to 21: 6,985
July 8 to 14: 5,703

13. Montana

Increase: 21.4 percent
July 15 to 21: 759
July 8 to 14: 625

The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the spread of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

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The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the U.S. states with the most COVID-19 cases.

States with most COVID-19 cases
The U.S. states with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases. STATISTA

The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. states and the European Union.

New COVID-19 cases in U.S. vs EU
Average number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the European Union. STATISTA

About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean


Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more