The United States has reported 57,683 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours on Friday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, the third consecutive day with record numbers of new infections.

The Baltimore-based university’s tracker showed the total number of cases since the pandemic reached the US at 2,793,022 as of 8:30 pm (0030 Saturday GMT).

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The university also recorded a further 728 fatalities, bringing the total US death count to 129,405.

US is witnessing a second flare-up, mostly affecting southern states — with the exception of California in the west — that had either lifted their restrictions early or were reluctant to enforce them fully, such as Texas, whose governor Gregg Abbott, a Republican, had prevented his mayors and other city officials from making the use of masks mandatory.

Public health experts worry social distancing norms will not be enforced there, as it has happened at recent public gatherings Trump has attended and addressed.

Many members of his campaign staff and the Secret Service were infected at the rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and then again at his rally in Phoenix, Arizona.
Among those from the second lot of infections was Herman Cain, a former Republican presidential candidate.