The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard for Wednesday morning, July 22, at 7:36 a.m.:

Worldwide cases:  15,016,440    Worldwide deaths:  618,001

U.S. cases: 3,925,025       U.S. deaths: 142,401  

According to the Dashboard, the reported worldwide cases increased by 241,553 in the last 24 hours, and 6,402 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported.  These numbers are higher than the recent count.

According to the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, the United States has added 66,339 cases in the last 24 hours, and deaths attributed to COVID-19 have increased by 975.

Today’s daily case increase in the United States is more than the recent average of 59,000 cases, and the death toll is higher than the average by around 200 people.

In good news, around  20 states are seeing their COVID-19 numbers hold steady or decline, even though 26 states are seeing increases.

But there are concerns.  According to CNBC:

• Both Texas and Florida posted a record in average daily new deaths six times in the previous seven days.
• Texas had a seven-day average of 118.57 new deaths on Monday, which is nearly 39% higher compared with a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
• Florida broke its record of average daily new deaths for two consecutive days

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced he’s contracted 1,000 additional medical professionals to assist in hospitals.  On July 15, the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration announced that 54 of the state’s hospitals were at ICU bed capacity.

In Hawaii, Lt. Gov. Dr. Josh Green says that only 40% of the state’s ICU beds are in use, and only 10% of the state’s ventilators, so should the state experience a surge, the hospital capacity can handle it.  Currently the state has 1,418 cumulative cases, with 1,084 released from isolation.  The state’s 24 deaths are the lowest in the country.

In the first COVID-19 update given by President Donald Trump since April, on Tuesday he acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States will get worse before it gets better.  He also urged Americans to wear masks, practice physical distancing, and wash their hands frequently.  The President has now joined health experts across the country and the doctors on the White House COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Debra Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, in urging Americans to take part in stemming the pandemic.   Doctors are united in saying that the future of the virus spread is in our hands.

President Trump said on Monday he will now do regular news conferences to give COVID-19 updates, with the next one today at 11:30 a.m. HST.