US states put brakes on reopenings as new Covid-19 cases hit record

The US has suffered its biggest daily increase in new coronavirus cases since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting state governments and businesses to put the brakes on an easing of lockdown measures. Texas, California and Florida reported record increases in confirmed infections on Wednesday, lifting the nationwide tally by 38,672 and bringing it close to 2.4m, according to the Covid Tracking Project. The sudden rise prompted the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — states once at the heart of the US pandemic — to impose a two-week quarantine on visitors from states with elevated infection rates.