US Coronavirus: Only Two States Are Reporting a Decline in New Cases

A staggering increase has been reported in 36 states, including Florida, which experts say may be the next epicenter.

Florida reported 9,585 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, a record in just one day since the start of the pandemic. The number rivals that of the New York peak in daily cases in early April.

But the discouraging numbers could only be the tip of the iceberg: new research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that the total number of coronavirus infections in the U.S. may in fact be six to 24 times higher than that reported.

As cases increase, American travelers are "unlikely" to be allowed to enter the European Union as the bloc begins to open up to international travel, several European diplomats told CNN.

Officials in parts of the United States are now trying to curb the spread of the virus - which many experts have said is out of control - by urging the country's young population to keep their distance, by encouraging the use of face masks and stopping their plans to reopen.

The United States has reached more than 2.5 million infections and at least 125,539 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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Where new cases are increasing

The 36 states that see an increase in the number of cases are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Cases are stable in Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Virginia.

States pause when reopening

At least 12 states have halted or canceled their plans to reopen in hopes of stopping the spread of the virus.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced on Saturday that he had pressed the pause button on the state's reopening plan due to the increase in cases. Some counties were preparing to enter the fourth phase of reopening, "which would essentially mean no restrictions," the governor's office said in a statement.

"Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity and we cannot do it now," said the statement. "This is an evolving situation and we will continue to make decisions based on the data."

These are the states that require face masks

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also announced last week that he would suspend all other phases to reopen the state.

"I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of Covid-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly and distancing themselves from others." The more we follow all of these guidelines, the safer our state will be and the more Texas we can open up for business. "

A day later, Abbott also said that it was closing bars and limiting the capacity of restaurants.

The Arizona governor also announced that the state reopening was on hold due to a significant spike in cases.

"We expect our numbers to worsen next week and the week after," said the governor.

Advocacy with young groups

In recent days, officials across the United States have reported an increase in cases among younger groups. In Mississippi, officials said fraternity parties were one of the driving forces behind the state's cases.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said last week that there has been an increase in the number of young groups testing positive for the virus.

"There is a feeling that a lot of young people, well you are young, so you feel a little more invincible but, respectfully, often it can be a selfish state of mind," said Newsom.

In Florida, DeSantis said that while the median age of people infected with the virus in March was in the 1960s, in the past two to three weeks, it was abandoned to people in their early 30s.

The governor urged younger groups to be vigilant, saying that while they are not at risk for serious complications, they can spread the virus to someone who is. Community transmission of the state, he said, "is carried out by this group of 18 to 35 year olds".

"You have a responsibility to be careful if you are in contact with a more vulnerable person," he said. "We insisted on avoiding the three Cs which are: closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with lots of people nearby and close contact settings, such as short distance conversations."

CNN's Melissa Alonso, Andy Rose, Artemis Moshtaghian, Kristina Sgueglia, Gisela Crespo and Michael Nedelman contributed to this report.