Covid-19 surge continues in U.S. states in the South and West

Several states in the South and West are continuing to post record-high daily numbers of Covid-19 cases. Oklahoma, which hadn't crossed the 200-cases mark in the first three months of the pandemic, recorded its highest one-day tally yet yesterday, of 482 new cases. A surge of Covid-19 in Texas is quickly overwhelming hospitals in many areas. Texas Children's Hospital, for instance, announced that it would begin admitting adult patients due to a shortage of ICU beds in Houston. And while younger adults were not among the most affected group in the initial months of the pandemic, the Associated Press reports that as bars, restaurants and other places have reopened in some states including Mississippi, Michigan and Florida, coronavirus cases are also going up among those ages 18-49 compared to those who are older.

Here's what else is happening with Covid-19:

Hospitals are now seeing a shortage of a common steroid, dexamethasone, after a study published earlier this month suggested that the drug reduced deaths by a third among hospitalized Covid-19 patients. At least two manufacturers of the drug cited increased demand as the reason for the shortage.
Africa is now on the list of places where a Covid-19 vaccine is being tested. A candidate vaccine developed at the University of Oxford is being tested in volunteers in South Africa, which is home to nearly a third of the African continent's Covid-19 cases.
The governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York jointly announced a new order mandating a 14-day quarantine period for anyone who travels to the tri-state area from an area currently experiencing "significant community spread."
And in more New York news, the New York City Marathon planned for November this year has been canceled, only the second time in its 50-year history (the other time was after Superstorm Sandy in 2012). The race, which drew a world record of more than 53,600 finishers last year, has been rescheduled for November of 2021.