US surpasses record 55,000 new cases of coronavirus

The U.S. on Thursday set a record for daily new COVID-19 cases with 55,220, surpassing Wednesday’s record mark of 52,789.

The record numbers are due to the significant spikes in cases across the country, as many states have been setting and breaking records of their own over the past two weeks.

Florida, which broke its record for new cases over the weekend, set a new record on Thursday with 10,109 more coronavirus cases. Georgia also set a new record for cases on Thursday with 3,472.

Both Florida and Georgia were some of the first states to begin reopening their economies earlier this year following shutdowns aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an order Thursday making it mandatory for everyone in Texas to wear a face covering of some kind while out in public.

Texans will now be fined $250 if they refuse to wear a mask after being warned by law enforcement. The Lone Star State broke its record for daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday with 8,076, and reported an additional 7,915 on Thursday.

Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) both took steps to close bars late last week in an attempt to stem the rising number of cases.

Ohio and Arizona also reported new record highs in cases on Wednesday.

The U.S. overall now has more than 2.7 million confirmed cases of the disease and more than 128,000 deaths.