6 states report record highs in new coronavirus infections

Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas all reported record daily highs Tuesday in their number of new coronavirus cases, with Arizona health officials reporting 2,392 new cases — nearly double the state's previous record.

All of the states except Nevada recorded all-time highs last week; Nevada's previous high was reported on May 23. The numbers have been climbing as states eased restrictions, and health officials attribute the spikes to businesses reopening and people gathering for events on Memorial Day weekend.

Hospitalizations are also surging or have reached record highs in several states. At the Tucson Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, on Monday night, only one of the 20 beds set aside for COVID-19 patients was available. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is downplaying the record number of hospitalizations in his state and said the spike in new cases is due to an increase in testing; a Reuters analysis found that for the week ending on June 14, testing in Texas was up by more than 30 percent but the rate or people testing positive for the coronavirus was steady at 7 percent.

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In Oregon, an outbreak of more than 200 new COVID-19 cases is linked to the Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church in Union County; The Oregonian reports that a now-deleted video on the church's Facebook page from May 24 showed hundreds of people in close proximity to each other, singing. At the time, large gatherings were not allowed in the state.