Los Angeles, Texas close bars as coronavirus takes 'very dangerous turn'
Story highlights
Eight counties in California have been ordered to close bars including Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento and Santa Barbara
Los Angeles and Californian counties ordered bars to close as Texas governor Greg Abbott said the coronavirus situation had "taken a very swift and very dangerous turn in Texas".
Several states in the US south and west including Texas, Florida and Alabama have seen a resurgence of the virus in recent weeks even as northeastern states New York, New Jersey and Connecticut showed marked improvement.
Vice President Mike Pence met Texas Vice President Mike Pence and said: “President Trump wanted us to be here today with the developments over the last two weeks with the rising positivity and the rising number of cases with a very simple message and that is to use people of Texas: We’re with you.”
“Our administration is promoting the practice” of mask wearing," Pence added.
Eight counties in California have been ordered to close bars including Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Santa Barbara and Santa Clara amid rising number of cases as Los Angeles reported 2,542 new coronavirus cases.
Authorities have become increasingly concerned over the virus situation in Texas which looked to be in control but cases spiked as areas were reopened. Texas has seen increased hospitalizations amid a surge of cases with 143,371 COVID-19 infections and 2,366 deaths.
Dallas county had recorded 561 new infections over the weekend with seven deaths with 19,595 coronavirus cases and 351 deaths.
The United States is the hardest-hit due to the virus with over 2.5 million cases and over 125, 700 deaths.