People sit at Il Giardino restaurant as restaurants reopen with restrictions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 on Ocean Drive on South Beach in Miami, Florida, US.
REUTERS/Zachary Fagenson

Infection rates of the coronavirus spiked in Texas, Florida, and Arizona on Wednesday signifying what many believe as a second wave of the onslaught of the virus. This was expected following the reopening of these states this week.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that hospital confinements in Texas due to COVID-19 "spiked 6.3 percent to 2,056." This, the news report said, has been the largest daily rise since the global health crisis developed.

John Hopkins Center of Health Security's Eric Toner told the media outlet that a new or second wave of COVID-19 is expected in several parts of the country, adding that, although "small and distant so far, it is coming."

Second Wave in the Aftermath of Reopening


Meanwhile, Florida reported new cases of the fatal disease this week, with 8,553 new contagions. This number, according to the report, was higher than any other day during the past seven days.

More so, the spike in number, according to the New York Post, was an aftermath of state reopenings and the government's lifting of stay-at-home measures last month.

Early this month, Arizona reported new COVID-19 cases that reached more than 1,100. This surge, according to news reports, raised apprehensions among health experts, even as the overall contagions rate of the nation appears to be declining.

According to University of Pennsylvania's director of biostatistics, Jeff Morris, "Arizona sticks out like a sore thumb" when it comes to a major problem.

Various Levels of Reopening


All 50 states of the country have started reopening in some way after COVID-19 thrust the nation into lockdown beginning in March.

However, there are considerable differences in terms of the states' manner of deciding to reopen. Such changes mirror the enormous pressures that weigh on the governors of the country to address the failing economy and an apprehensive public even if there have been warnings of the possibility of the second wave of COVID-19 from epidemiologists.

Companies are nearly generally restarting under certain limitations like decreased customers, necessitating workers and clients to put on face cover, and imposing social distancing. More so, even as governors of these states have lifted directives, stricter local rules may stay in place.

Restarting Economies despite Increased COVID-19 Cases


Essentially, California was the first state to shut down the economy following an early spread of the virus near San Francisco. And, even if it closed businesses the earliest among the rest of the states, California has been the slowest state to restart the economy.

But despite this, California recorded the highest number of people confined at the hospital this week since last month because of the virus.

On the contrary, in Georgia, where tattoo parlors, fitness gyms and hair salons have been operating for one-and-a-half already, the number of contagions has steadily declined, and this has puzzled experts.

As a whole, according to reports, the infection rate of the nation this week, increased by one percent, the smallest rise since March.

Despite the health experts' warning and apprehensions, the COVID-19 task force of the White House said, it has not seen any direct connection between the rising COVID-19 cases and states reopening.

Check these out!