Record Covid-19 single-day highs in 5 US states, Mike Pence cancels campaign events

President Donald Trump, who has been loathe to acknowledge the new crisis, recently held two rallies in states hit by the surge.

Five US states have reported record single-day infections as the new surge in Covid-19 cases continued unabated in the south with yet another day of more than 40,000 new infections countrywide on Saturday.

Florida led the five with 9,585 new cases. Arizona was next with 3,591; followed by Georgia with 1,990, South Carolina with 1,604. and Nevada with 1,099. (REUTERS)

The Trump campaign has in grudging recognition of a deepening crisis cancelled some upcoming political events with Vice-President Mike Pence in some of the states with spiking numbers.

President Donald Trump, who has been loathe to acknowledge the new crisis, recently held two rallies in states hit by the surge. One of them, at Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was thinly attended continues to make news days after. The Washington Post has reported that two campaign staffers had removed cards — saying “Do Not Sit Her, Please” — placed in alternate seats to enforce social distancing. Many members of the campaign staff who worked on the rally have since tested positive and at least one news correspondent who covered it.

Undeterred, Trump had simply moved on to hold a rally in Arizona, another state hit by the surge, at yet another indoor event and also with complete disregard for social distancing norms. Arizona is among the 16 states identified by the White house coronavirus task force where Covid-19 cases have been shooting up. And it was among the five that reported record single-day highs Saturday.

Texas, which has revived some of the social distancing norms because of the surge, reported 5,700 new cases.

The countrywide total of new infections was 42,597 for Saturday, taking the cumulative total to 2.51 million. Fatalities went up to 125,538 with 500 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Vice-President Pence was scheduled to travel to Texas for a “Celebrate Freedom Rally” later Sunday, but had postponed similar events in Tuscan, Arizona and Florida. scheduled for next week “out of an abundance of caution” due to the spike in cases in these states, the campaign has said.

Pence, who also heads the White House task force on coronavirus, will still visit these states as he had said Friday to get a “ground report” on the Covid-19 outbreak there. He will meet their governors — all three are Republican — and officials, but won’t hold political events.

The Biden campaign lashed out at Pence for his Texas visit. “Vice President Pence’s trip to Dallas epitomizes the dismissive attitude this administration has taken in addressing this crisis from the onset,” Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said in a statement. “Our leaders should be tackling this pandemic head on and laying out concrete recovery plans for the American people -- not jet setting across the country to hold events that go against basic public health guidance. Families in the Lone Star state and across the country deserve better.”