Lockdowns a strong possibility as 23 states see increase in COVID-19 cases

“If cases begin to go up again, and particularly if they go up dramatically, it’s important to recognize that more extensive mitigation efforts such as what were implemented back in March may be needed again,” said Butler, the Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases at the CDC.

“That is a decision that really needs to be made locally based on what is happening within the community regarding disease transmission.”

Daily cases of the coronavirus have increased in 23 states within the last week, including California, Texas, and Florida. But they have declined in eight states, including New Jersey and New York, where the disease had been most severe in April and May, according to Mediaite.

The surge in new cases is partially due to the protests and riots that have cropped up in major cities across the country. The first case linked to the protests and riots were confirmed on June 9, when the National Guard noted that some members who had deployed to Washington, D.C. had contracted the contagion.

There are estimated to be about 2.1 million COVID-19 cases in the US, with nearly 820,000 of those fully recovering.

"We know the pandemic is not over, and even looking at some of the serology data, it’s clear that the vast majority of Americans still have not been exposed to this virus," Butler added.