WRITTEN BY: Eunice Kim

COVID-19 is now the 2nd-worst pandemic in U.S. history, right after the Spanish flu, which caused 500 million deaths worldwide, approximately 675,000 of those occurring in the United States. As 2:00 PM of July 12nd, the United States alone has nearly 3.5 million cases and has lost 137,652 lives as a result of the coronavirus. When compared with the global statistic of 569,577, the United States bears roughly a quarter, 24.16%, of documented deaths, making it the global leader for COVID-19 deaths and cases, nearly doubling runner-up Brazil’s 1.87 million and 71,584.

American Ignorance

You would think these shocking statistics would daunt Americans into staying at home and distancing themselves, but that is clearly not the case for many. Everyday, overwhelming numbers of people can be seen completely disregarding the rules of social distancing and the strong suggestion to wear masks, without even a hint of caution. This is a result of individuals failing to sufficiently inform themselves on the severity of the pandemic at hand. Although this may be because of the inevitable ignorance of some, this can also be partly attributed to the United States as a country; the government did not set up solid guidelines and enforce them onto the public, as did other nations around the world. One of the most successful countries as for dealing with COVID-19 was New Zealand. By encouraging the country to come together as a team to protect their fellow citizens, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was able to confront the crisis as a united nation and effectively extinguish the majority of the virus. However, the United States has opened restaurants and other public locations without properly taming the virus beforehand, making many wrongly assume that the dangerous pandemic is not to be worried about anymore. However, recent events in a certain state in particular have shown the rest of the nation that recklessly letting your guard down will result in devastating consequences.

Masked By Patriotism

America’s 244th birthday was on Saturday, July 4th, 2020: just over a week ago. It was this day that the U.S. record of most COVID-19 cases reported in a single day was broken. Hundreds of thousands of Americans all across the country celebrated at bars, hosted parties, and invited friends over, making an exception for this special occasion. Moreover, analysis of cell phone data suggested that many took Independence Day as an opportunity to get out of the house and take to the road. Meanwhile, cases surged and COVID-19 spread faster than ever. Although every state has individuals that ignore the safety guidelines set to protect the health of Americans, there was one state that had a publicized history of negligence: Florida. Many new stories spanning across the last few months have shown thousands flocking to Florida’s beaches as the coronavirus showed no sign of surrendering to the nation’s attempts to control it.

As can be seen, the number of COVID-19 cases in Florida has been skyrocketing since mid-June. As an addition to this, huge gatherings across the state on Independence Day resulted in Florida breaking the record with an unbelievable 11,434 new cases reported on July 4th. But even this shocking number did not stop Florida from continuing to treat COVID-19 as a light matter.

Taking Top Two on the Leaderboard

15,299. Exactly one week after the state became the new record holder, Florida reported another 15,299 new deaths from Saturday, July 12th, shattering the record once again. This made Florida both the record-holder and the runner-up of the most single-day documented deaths, and counted the 19th consecutive day of which at least 5000 cases were reported by the state. Florida is now home to 269,811 total cases of COVID-19: 7.9% of total U.S. cases.

Conclusion

As said before, public locations all over the United States have started to reopen. However, this must not be taken as a sign that the situation is improving. Rash assumptions may result in circumstances worsening and more lives being taken. Do not underestimate the extremity of this global pandemic, and practice the guidelines set up by state and federal officials, including but not limited to, social distancing, wearing masks, and quarantine. Use Florida as an example, and take caution when leaving the house is necessary, not only for your own safety but for others’ too. Everyone’s participation is needed to ensure success. America must band together to combat COVID-19, and to keep Saturday, July 12th the last day that any state will surpass the national record.

Works Cited

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CNN & Maxouris, C. (2020, July 12). US Covid-19 cases are climbing but some state and local leaders clash over moves to curb the spread. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/12/health/us-coronavirus-sunday/index.html

CDC COVID Data Tracker. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases

Accuweather & Roach, J. (2020, June 17). Coronavirus crisis is now 2nd-worst pandemic in US history. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/update-how-us-covid-19-fatalities-compare-to-the-countrys-worst-flu-years/759657

CBS News & Lewis, S. (2020, March 19). Thousands flock to Florida beaches, ignoring coronavirus concerns. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-florida-beaches-ignore-social-distancing/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, March 20). 1918 Pandemic (H1N1 virus). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html

Coronavirus Cases. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

TodayShow. (2020, March 19). Younger people ignoring social distancing guidelines cause growing concern. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.today.com/video/younger-people-ignoring-social-distancing-guidelines-cause-growing-concern-80961093600

Florida Today & Thomas, R., (2020, July 11). Coronavirus in Florida: What you need to know, Saturday, July 11. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2020/07/11/florida-covid-19-coronavirus-casesdeaths-hospitalizations/5420153002/

Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection. (n.d.). Florida’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/96dd742462124fa0b38ddedb9b25e429

NPR & Beaubien, J. (2020, May 27). Some Countries Have Brought New Cases Down To Nearly Zero. How Did They Do It? Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/05/23/861577367/messaging-from-leaders-who-have-tamed-their-countrys-coronavirus-outbreaks