State records continue to fall for new cases, hospitalizations

Florida has set the record for the largest 1-day increase in cases in any state.

July 12, 2020, 10:09 PM

The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 566,000 people worldwide.

Over 12.7 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their nations' outbreaks.

The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 3.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 135,155 deaths.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump wears a mask as he visits Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD., on July 11, 2020.
President Donald Trump wears a mask as he visits Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD., on July 11, 2020.
Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Sunday's headlines:

  • NYC reports 1st day since March without a single COVID-19 death
  • Florida breaks 1-day record for new cases since start of pandemic
  • Biden campaign slams Trump for 'politicizing' mask-wearing for months
  • Nearly 600 military medical teams sent to help Texas hospitals
  • Here is how the news is developed on Sunday. All times Eastern.

    7:36 p.m.: NYC reports 1st day since March with no COVID-19 deaths

    For the first time since March, New York City on did not report a single confirmed or probable COVID-19 death on Saturday, according to preliminary data from the city's health department.

    On Friday, the city reported two probable deaths.

    The health department's portal does warn that "due to delays in reporting, recent data are incomplete." These delays are especially prevalent on weekends.

    The milestone comes four months to the day that New York City reported its first confirmed COVID-19 death.

    Since March 11, the city has had more than 23,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

    5:46 p.m.: Texas sets another record for hospitalizations

    Texas broke its one-day record for new COVID-19 hospitalizations again on Sunday, with 10,410 patients hospitalized.

    Hospitalizations have been steadily on the rise in Texas since the end of June, state health department data shows.

    The state recorded 8,196 new cases on Saturday, for a total of 258,658. The statewide positivity rate was 16.33% as of Saturday.

    Harris County leads the state with 43,939 cases, more than a third of which are between the ages of 20 and 40. At this time the county has 97 ICU beds available.

    There were 80 new fatalities recorded in Texas, bringing the statewide total to 3,192.

    4:05 p.m.: South Carolina positivity rate increases to 22.3%

    The South Carolina health department said the state's positivity rate has reached 22.3% -- the highest percentage it has seen in the last 28 days.

    The state recorded 1,952 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, for a total of 56,485.

    An influx of both in-state and out-of-state tourists has likely contributed to the increase in cases along the state's coast, health experts have said.

    The state recorded 10 new deaths on Saturday, for a total of 950.

    There are currently 1,472 hospitalizations related to COVID-19, with 72.76% of hospital beds in use statewide.

    12:15 p.m.: Arizona positivity rate remains above 20%

    Arizona recorded 2,537 positive cases on Saturday, bringing the statewide total to 122,467.

    The state conducted 12,170 total tests, resulting in a positivity rate of 20.8%.

    There were 86 new deaths in Arizona on Saturday. The state has now recorded 2,237 total deaths since the pandemic began.

    There are currently 3,432 people hospitalized in the state from COVID-19. An estimated 89% of ICU beds in Arizona remain full.

    11:40 a.m.: Florida breaks 1-day record for new cases

    The Florida Department of Health reported 15,300 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, making it the highest one-day total for a state in the U.S. since the pandemic began. It is nearly 4,000 more new cases than the previous record, set by California on Wednesday with 11,694.

    There were another 45 deaths reported Sunday, according to the Health Department. This brings the statewide death total to 4,346.

    PHOTO: People gather at the 33 & Melt restaurant "maskless" rally and dinner to protest mandatory face mask restrictions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Windermere, Florida, July 11, 2020.
    People gather at the 33 & Melt restaurant "maskless" rally and dinner to protest mandatory face mask restrictions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Windermere, Florida, July 11, 2020.
    Octavio Jones/Reuters

    Some of the increase in new cases could be attributed to the amount of tests being conducted -- there were 136,711 tests conducted on Saturday, the highest for the state by far.

    The state reported a positivity rate of 11.2%, which is down 1.3% from Saturday.

    In a press conference on Saturday, Florida Gov. DeSantis insisted his state is a leader in coronavirus testing.

    "Florida had more tests yesterday than the country as a whole did in March."

    PHOTO: People walk through the Lincoln Road Mall, July 10, 2020, in Miami Beach, Florida.
    PHOTO: People walk through the Lincoln Road Mall, July 10, 2020, in Miami Beach, Florida.
    Johnny Louis/Getty Images

    11:10 a.m.: Uptick in cases in NJ town linked to parties, mayor says

    The mayor of Westfield, New Jersey, announced that a rise in cases are linked to people going to parties in the community. There were 11 new cases announced on Saturday, all of which were people between the ages of 18 and 25.

    "I hope this spike serves as a reminder that we all have a responsibility to remain vigilant to mitigate community spread," Mayor Shelley Brindle said in a statement posted on Facebook. "Wash your hands. Keep a safe distance. Wear a face covering. Working together, we can get this genie back in the bottle."

    The town has seen 28 new cases since June 30.

    10:40 a.m.: New York matches previous low for new deaths

    New York state reported five new deaths on Sunday, tying the record low since the pandemic began. The death total in the Empire State has now reached 24,979.

    The state recorded an additional 677 cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total of positive cases to 401,706.

    "New York State continues to move forward combatting COVID-19 with its phased, data-driven reopening in the face of alarming increases in cases throughout the country and in the nationwide death rate," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.

    State officials are monitoring a rise in cases in Rensselaer County, and may be linked to several individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus after traveling back to New York from Georgia, the governor's office said.

    10:10 a.m.: Over 7K hospitalized in Florida for COVID-19

    There are 7,332 patients hospitalized in Florida for COVID-19, according to data from the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

    Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties are the top 3 counties with hospitalizations.

    Miami-Dade has 1,647 hospitalizations, Broward has 1,020 hospitalizations and Palm Beach has 605 hospitalizations.

    The state reported 9,960 new coronavirus cases on Saturday and an additional 421 hospitalizations. There were also 95 deaths on Saturday, marking a one-week record with 496 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

    2:25 a.m.: Biden campaign slams Trump for 'politicizing' mask-wearing for months and 'actively discouraging' the issue

    A spokesman for former vice president Joe Biden's campaign reacted to President Trump's decision to wear a mask during his visit to Walter Reed Medical Center on Saturday, slamming him for spending months "ignoring the advice of medical experts," and "politicizing" mask-wearing.

    "Donald Trump spent months ignoring the advice of medical experts and politicizing wearing a mask, one of the most important things we can do to prevent the spread of the virus. Rather than taking responsibility and leading, he wasted four months that Americans have been making sacrifices by stoking divisions and actively discouraging people from taking a very basic step to protect each other," campaign spokesman Andrew Bates wrote in a statement released Saturday night.

    "By contrast, Joe Biden has led by example from the start and as President will make decisions informed by science to protect the American people and defeat the virus," he continued.

    Numerous Biden staffers have taken to social media on Saturday to point out that Biden has been wearing a mask for months, and that President Trump mocked him for doing so during a Memorial Day visit to a war memorial.

    "Our Adult Son President remembered not to spread or catch an infectious respiratory disease today. Is this leadership??" the Biden campaign's Digital Director Rob Flaherty joked.

    1:56 a.m.: Nearly 600 military medical teams sent to Texas hospitals to help with COVID-19

    U.S. Army North confirms that 580 military medical personnel are being sent to Texas by U.S. Northern Command to assist with taking care of COVID-19 patients at civilian hospitals.

    The 50 nurses and respiratory therapists who were sent to San Antonio earlier this week are part of this larger deployment. In effect, there are now six Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces of 85 soldiers, along with 72 sailors from a Navy acute team and rapid rural response teams who will be operating in civilian hospitals in Texas.

    The deployments of these teams were a big help in New York hospitals and they proved to be more useful than setting up large temporary field hospitals or sending the Navy hospital ship.

    Last night Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a military medical team deployment to Texas, but that was before the Pentagon had finished working out the details.

    10:05 p.m.: Several 4th of July partygoers at Michigan sandbar test positive

    Several people who attended a Fourth of July party at Torch Lake sandbar near Rapid City, Michigan, have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.

    The popular hangout spot on Houghton Lake in northern Michigan had been flagged by police as problematic in a press release on July 8. Michigan State Police said it saw an increase of 26% in call volume over the previous 10 years at the so-called Torch Fest. Seven people were arrested for drunk and disorderly charges and nine were charged with operating while intoxicated.

    Photos released by police showed hundreds of people and boats crowded into close quarters.

    PHOTO: Several people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Torch Fest at the Torch Lake sandbar near Rapid City, Mich., on July 4, 2020.
    Several people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Torch Fest at the Torch Lake sandbar near Rapid City, Mich., on July 4, 2020.
    Michigan State Police

    "If you were at the Torch Lake Sandbar party over 4th of July weekend, you should monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and seek testing if symptoms should develop or if you were at high risk for exposure due to being in close proximity with others or not wearing a cloth facial covering," the health department said in a statement.

    PHOTO: Several people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Torch Fest at the Torch Lake sandbar near Rapid City, Mich., on July 4, 2020.
    Several people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Torch Fest at the Torch Lake sandbar near Rapid City, Mich., on July 4, 2020.
    Michigan State Police

    ABC News' Joshua Hoyos, Scott Withers, Matthew Fuhrman, Luis Martinez, John Verhovek and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

    This report was featured in the Monday, July 13, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

    "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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