After months of warm weather and health officials urging people to stay outside, experts have warned that the colder months could cause COVID cases to shoot up. And even with the weather still temperate in most parts of the country, cases are already on the rise. According to Reuters, 49,000 new infections were reported on Saturday, Oct. 3—the highest number of cases reported on a Saturday in the past seven weeks. “We know that the biggest risk of spread for this virus is when meaningful numbers of people gather indoors for an extended period of time. Also, people are already feeling pandemic fatigue, and I think that’ll only get worse,” Ashish Jha, MD, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, told The Atlantic. Jha predicted a spike in cases as temperatures drop in much of the country. These four states are already experiencing surges. And for a look at the states that are containing their outbreaks, These Are the Only States Beating COVID Right Now. Southern states have largely been on a downward trend since they saw significant spikes over the summer. However, Kentucky’s COVID cases have remained steadily high with intermittent spikes over the past month. According to WYMY, Governor Andy Beshear said, “I normally don’t provide an update on Sunday, but with 616 new cases today of COVID-19, we have shattered the previous weekly record, which we set just last week. This week we now have 6,126 new cases of COVID-19. We have to do better.” State health officials are placing the blame on fatigue with COVID precautions, as well as the wave of students returning to colleges and grade schools, according to Reuters. And if you’re worried that you’ve been exposed to coronavirus, There’s an 80 Percent Chance You Have COVID If You Have This Symptom. Minnesota—the site of President Donald Trump’s last big rally before his COVID diagnosis—reported its highest seven-day average of 1,018 COVID cases on Oct. 3, according to data from The New York Times. Minnesota Public Radio reports that state officials have warned residents who attended Trump’s rally to be cautious because they could be infectious without symptoms. Community spread was already significant in St. Louis County, where the rally took place, but the large gathering poses an additional risk. And to find out about your coronavirus risk, Getting This Much Sleep Could Increase Your Risk of Catching COVID. Throughout the pandemic, Montana had been reporting some of the lowest numbers of COVID cases, with only a handful of days seeing numbers over 20, and many days with zero cases reported. However, once summer hit, the state started creeping into the triple-digit territory, and since mid-September, Montana’s COVID cases have been skyrocketing. According to New York Times data, Montana broke their record for daily reported COVID cases on Oct. 3 with 446 cases. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Wisconsin has seen an almost completely vertical increase in COVID cases since the beginning of September. Before Sept. 10, the state did not report a single day over 1,000 cases, according to data from The New York Times. As of Sept. 17, Wisconsin began hovering around 2,000 cases a day, reaching as many as 3,022 on Oct. 3. Reuters reports that Wisconsin also shattered their record of hospitalizations on Oct. 3. The state is reporting one of the highest percentages of positive cases, with 22 percent of COVID tests coming back positive, according to Reuters. And for more on this hard-hit state, Wisconsin Is Officially “In a Crisis” With COVID, Officials Say.
