White House's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, said the United States may reach 100,000 new daily coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases if current outbreaks across the South and West remain uncontrolled.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) presented the grim prediction during a Tuesday testimony on Capitol Hill. According to a New York Times database, the number of new daily cases surged by 80 percent in the past 14 days as new hot spots emerge in the Southern and Western states.

Fauci also claimed the country is "going in the wrong direction" as many Americans continue with their normal routines while flouting social distancing and mask guidelines.

Hospitalizations and Infections

During the meeting with Congress, Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), revealed hospitalization rates rose in 12 states. Over 130 counties are now being considered as "coronavirus hot spots."

On Tuesday, Texas health officials reported over 6,975 new cases and 6,533 hospitalizations. In Houston, the ICUs hit a 97 percent capacity. The recent surges forced Governor Greg Abbot to suspend all elective surgeries. The move aims to ensure bed availability for COVID-19 patients, CNBC reports.

In Arizona, state officials recorded 4,682 new cases, bringing the state's total tally to 79,215. The increase covers for a two-day period after a reporting issue led some cases from Monday to be uncounted.

The state reported 625 new cases on Monday. The numbers were about half less than the actual cases, according to the health department. Governor Doug Ducey announced Monday that bars, gyms, theaters, parks, and tubing rentals are subjected to a month-long closure.

California health officials reported 6,367 cases on Tuesday, marking its second-biggest daily jump. The new numbers bring the state's total tally to 222,917. Hospitalizations also jumped to a record 5,077 patients, with 1,528 currently in the ICU.

Florida's Miami-Dade County reported the highest numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations since early May. On Tuesday, county officials said it has 1,202 coronavirus patients in hospitals. Over 236 patients are confined in the intensive-care unit, while 103 are on ventilators.

Economic Recovery

The recent trend of the virus weighed down talk of resuming a normal life and improving the U.S. economy. Jerome H. Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said a full recovery of the American economy is highly unlikely until the safety of the people is assured.

Powell also warned a second outbreak could force the government to impose sweeping lockdowns again-a move, he warns, would greatly impact the economy.

New research from Goldman Sachs suggested a national mask mandate could help save the U.S. economy over $1 trillion, as reported by Forbes. A federal mandate could increase mask usage across the country by 15 percent, effectively cutting the daily growth of new cases by 0.6 percent.

Want to read more?