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Cases of the novel coronavirus in Alabama climbed to at least 25,615, including 773 deaths, as of Monday, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The state's latest daily case count was 1,014, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported Sunday, with over 1,000 new infections seen in 24 hours for the first time since the outbreak began.
Sunday's daily case count is nearly triple the figure reported on May 12, a day after the state began reopening some venues, with around 300 new cases reported that day. It is also more than doubled the figure recorded on May 23, a day after the state's amended "Safe at Home" order expired, with 447 new infections reported that day, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state's daily case count on Sunday follows more than 800 daily new infections reported for three consecutive days last week.
Daily new cases in Alabama have been on a mostly increasing trend since around June 3. The total number of new cases reported in the last week more than doubled the number of new infections reported the previous week. The state recorded 5,101 new cases from June 8 to 14 and 2,548 new cases from June 1 to 7, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Around May 29, Alabama saw a record increase in the average number of cases over the previous seven days. Alabama Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said at the time: "Clearly the numbers are very concerning to us as we see deaths and clusters of hot spots.
"We're working on trying to help the public retrain themselves, modify their behavior," he added.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey allowed a selection of venues to reopen with restrictions from May 11, including restaurants, bars and breweries which can operate at limited table capacity and with a six feet distance between tables, the governor's office outlined in a statement.
Gyms, fitness centers, barber shops, hair and nail salons, and tattoo parlors were also permitted to reopen from May 11 subject to social distancing and sanitation guidelines.
Limits on gatherings, including at beaches, were lifted on May 11, with a six feet distance required between individuals who are not from the same household, the statement noted.
Several states have seen a spike in cases after reopening, including Arizona, which was dubbed the "new national hotspot" of the virus by Arizona Congressman Greg Stanton.
Last week, Georgia reported its largest single-day rise in cases since the state reopened in early May.
Florida and Texas also reported significant jumps in cases last week, with Florida seeing its highest daily case count since the outbreak began. Parts of Texas, including San Antonio, were reported to be "entering a second wave," a health official in Texas warned.
The novel coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan, has spread to more than 7.9 million people across the globe, including over two million in the U.S. Over 434,000 have died following infection, while nearly 3.8 million have reportedly recovered from infection, as of Monday, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The graphics below, provided by Statista, illustrate the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. and the worst-affected countries.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more