U.S. coronavirus cases topped 4 million on Thursday as the death toll also reached a and unemployment claims were on the rise.

The coronavirus surge is occurring in at least 39 states, with 69,000 new cases of the virus reported on Wednesday, according to the New York Times database. The situation is so serious, President Trump called off the Florida portion of the Republican National Convention. He had moved his acceptance speech to Jacksonville to try to avoid the restrictions imposed by Charlotte, North Carolina, the original site but the caseload in Florida has been skyrocketing for the last month.

The first coronavirus cases in the U.S. was reported by Johns Hopkins University on Jan. 21, CNN reported. Ninety-nine days later, the U.S. reported 1 million positive cases of the virus. After 43 days, the count was at 2 million cases and later surged to 3 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus 28 days after that. In 15 days more, the U.S. hit the 4 million mark.

“It didn’t have to be this bad, but at every juncture of this crisis President Trump has failed the fundamental role of a president: the duty to care — or in his case, the ability to care about anything beyond himself and his reelection,” presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in statement emailed to the press.

“Instead of the wartime president we were promised, America is led by someone even his own aides and allies describe as “bored” and “distracted” by the fight against this virus, someone more interested in playing golf than leading our nation in a moment of crisis. He quit on this country and waved the white flag of surrender,” Biden added.

States such as Alaska, Montana, Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Maryland, Nevada, Kentucky, Indiana, Colorado, and Puerto Rico are continuing to see a fast-paced spread of the virus along with Texas, Florida and California.

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to increase, more restrictions are being ordered to reduce the spread of the virus. Miami has enacted stricter fines for not wearing a face mask in public while Indiana and Minnesota have mandated face mask requirements in public.

The face mask mandates come on the heels of a surge in COVID-19 deaths as 1,136 new deaths were reported from the virus on Wednesday – the most since May 29, according to the Times database. The U.S. has reported over 143,400 COVID-19 deaths nationwide with global deaths exceeding 624,000 as of Thursday late afternoon, Johns Hopkins University reported.

The grim numbers are further complicated by the rise in unemployment claims in the U.S. as 1.4 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, an increase of 109,000 from the previous week and up for the first time in 15 weeks, the Labor Department reported

The unemployment rate is thought to now sit at 11.1%, keeping on pace with June’s unemployment rate, with enhanced unemployment benefits set to run out at the end of July unless Congress acts quickly. The numbers come from Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates with official numbers set to come out on Aug. 7.

The areas with the largest number of unemployment claims for the week included Puerto Rico, Nevada, Hawaii, Georgia, and California.

In other coronavirus news:

  • Three in four Americans say they favor face masks in public, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. After polling 1,057 people, the survey indicated that there are party lines on the face mask stance, with 89% of Democrats saying their favor face masks and 58% of Republicans saying they agree with mask mandates. A total of 86% of Americans say they wear a face mask when they leave their home, a number that is up from May’s 73% response.
  • Workers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that they deserve hazard pay for being exposed to the coronavirus while on the job, The Washington Post reported. According to the complaint, the class-action lawsuit is asking for 25% of the workers’ normal wages for exposure to “hazardous working conditions through the performance of their assigned duties and that the hazardous duty had not been taken into account in the classification of their position.”
  • Both American Airlines and Southwest have updated their face mask policies to require them at all times in airports. The two companies said they will not transport passengers who refuse to wear masks, with American saying it will bar those that don’t comply with the policy from future flights while the face mask policy is in place. American’s face mask policy goes into effect on Wednesday while Southwest’s mask requirement will start on Monday.
  • AMC Theatres has postponed the opening of it more than 1,000 U.S. movie theaters until mid-to-late August as coronavirus cases spike and big movie releases are delayed, including Warner Bros. “Tenet” and Disney’s “Mulan.” The theater chain said one-third of its cinemas have reopened in Europe and the Middle East.
  • As Major League Baseball returns on Friday, stadiums will be filled with virtual fans on Fox and Fox Sports 1, The Washington Post reported. A series of computer-generated spectators will fill seats as baseball fans are prohibited from attending games during the coronavirus pandemic. Fans will appear in team colors for each game and may be removed in ending innings if the game is a blowout. In addition, 75 sound effects will be broadcast.
  • Young people in New York should not “fight for their right to party,” according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the state works to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Cuomo addressed his younger residents during a press conference blaming large parties and gatherings in the state for a spike in virus cases. Cuomo referenced a 1986 Beasties Boy hit as he attempted to strike a chord with young people about the risk of coronavirus contagion.
  • A $21 million emergency contract was granted to researchers in an attempt to try Pepcid as a remedy for the coronavirus, the Associated Press reported. A clinical trial was fast-tracked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but later sidelined after the contract was scrutinized. A government whistleblower accused the administration of rushing the deal amid allegations of scientific misconduct. The trial is now reportedly on pause because of reduced hospitalizations fir COVID-19 in New York, and a vaccine could be approved before the study is finished.
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