WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The United States, the country hardest hit by the coronavirus, on Saturday posted 66,528 new cases, a record for a 24-hour period, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has now recorded a total of 3,242,073 infections, the Baltimore-based university said in its latest data as of 8:30 p.m. (0030 GMT Sunday).
The death toll stood at 134,729 with 760 additional deaths counted.
The US has now seen daily new cases top 60,000 in four of the past five days.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump donned a face mask in public for the first time, finally yielding to intense pressure to set a public health example.
Trump had on a dark mask featuring the presidential seal as he walked through Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington to meet with wounded veterans.
News reports this week said aides practically begged the President to relent and wear a mask in public – and let himself be photographed – as coronavirus cases soar in some states.
They include Florida, where Disney World on Saturday reopened two of its four Orlando theme parks, even as the state reported 10,360 new infections and 95 deaths.
Saturday’s visitors had reserved their tickets in advance, allowing Disney to control the number of people in the park and accommodate for social distancing.
Visitors were required to undergo temperature checks, and hand sanitizer was widely available.
Disney said it was enforcing social distancing of six feet (two meters) at attractions and inside shops.
