Aug. 1 (UPI) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday he hasn’t made a decision about whether to reopen schools in the fall but said schools should plan for the possibility.
During a conference call with reporters, Cuomo said he will watch what happens with the infection rate before deciding whether to reopen schools.
He also said New York reported 753 positive tests of 82,737 tests run Friday.
On Friday the United States reported 1,424 new coronavirus deaths and 67,746 new cases, according to The New York Times coronavirus tracker.
That brings the total number of infections to 4.58 million and total deaths to 153,642 since the first U.S. infection was reported in January.
Infections are surging in Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma, with Mississippi reporting 52 new coronavirus deaths and 1,168 new cases Friday.
This week Mississippi has reported an average of 1,298 cases per day, an increase of 46 percent from the mid-July average.
New infections and deaths are leveling off in some states — including Louisiana, Alabama and Nevada.
While the number of new cases has decreased in Florida from last week, the number of deaths has trended upward this week, and the state is reporting the highest number of cases per capita.
Florida reported 9,642 new positive cases of COVID-19 and 179 deaths due to the virus Saturday.
Georgia reported 78 new coronavirus deaths and 3,797 new cases Friday, with an average of 3,373 cases per day — up 14 percent from mid-July.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday traced an outbreak to a sleepaway camp, where 260 children and staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.
While other “super spreader” events have been traced to events such as funerals, weddings or parties, the Georgia outbreak may be the first traced to a gathering involving children.
