The number of COVID-19 cases in California is on the rise again, raising fears that recent reopenings and massive protests against police brutality may contribute to another wave of the virus. 

According to data released by Johns Hopkins University, California is one of the twenty states that has recorded an uptick in coronavirus cases in the past week. In the past five days alone, the state's medical officials have reported 3,000 new daily confirmed cases for the second time in a week. 

An analysis by the Los Angeles Times showed the state exceeded 17,000 cases last week-the first time it has happened since the pandemic began. Nearly 10,000 of the cases were reported in Los Angeles County. Counties in the Bay Area have also reported a troubling increase in cases. 

California

The state has been heralded as a model for its response to the virus after it locked down earlier. It was also one of the slowest to ease its stay-at-home restrictions. 

However, in recent weeks, many counties have reopened parts of their area, defying the orders from California's Governor Gavin Newsom. 

Local governments have also reported flare-ups, including an outbreak in Imperial county where authorities reported nearly 900 newly confirmed cases and 11 new coronavirus-related deaths in the past two weeks. 

In response to the surge, Newsom tasked state and local officials to build a field medical station that could accommodate up to 125 beds in the farming region along the U.S.-Mexican border. 

David Eisenman, a director at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), said the rise was expected as warm weather draws out the residents to beaches and parks. He also cited an increase in testing may have played a role in the rising number of reported cases. 

Southern and Western States

Within recent weeks, inland states such as Arkansas, Texas, and Arizona, have seen a wider spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In Arkansas, Governor Asa Hutchinson reported over 375 new coronavirus cases in the highest single-day number of community cases it has seen. On Tuesday, health officials in Arizona recorded 1,127 new cases. Medical authorities in Texas also recorded more than 1,000 new positive cases the previous week. 

The recent protests have renewed concerns of a possible outbreak. Experts say while a spread of the virus depends on many factors-including mask-wearing, the distance between demonstrators, and the time spent in close contact-the protests would still have an impact on the country's total tally. 

Amen Ogbongbemiga, a football linebacker who plays for the Oklahoma state, claimed he contracted the COVID-19 disease after he attended a Black Lives Matter protest in Tulsa. 

"After attending a protest in Tulsa AND being well protective of myself, I have tested positive for COVID-19," Ogbongbemiga tweeted. "Please, if you are going to protest, take care of yourself and stay safe."

The United States now has 1,902,031 COVID-19 cases and 109,146 deaths. 

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