Florida topped 200,000 coronavirus cases as nation marked a different July 4th

Florida surpassed 200,000 cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, following the Fourth of July holiday during which the state recorded its most cases reported in a single day.

At least 40,000 cases have been reported by the Florida Department of Health in the last four days. On Saturday, the Sunshine State reported 11,458 cases, the most reported in a single day, beating the previous record that was set on Thursday.

The state has now surpassed New York’s previous single-day high of 11,434, which was recorded in mid-April.

“It’s clear that the growth is exponential at this point,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “We’ve been breaking record after record after record the last couple of weeks.”

“Our county closed down the beaches for the July Fourth weekend, in the hopes that all these rules will have an impact, a positive impact,” he added.

For Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, what’s alarming is the number of hospitalizations that will likely follow.

“This is just the positives,” Gelber told CNN. “It’s going to get much worse.”

The continued spike in cases came as millions of Americans marked a very different Independence Day, with many choosing virtual celebrations or canceling plans altogether amid mounting concern over the pandemic.

The changes followed pleas from health officials warning that holiday crowds and packed gatherings would likely lead to further spikes in cases.

But while many cities took measured approaches to celebrate the Fourth of July, images emerging from the holiday weekend show not everyone is taking the warnings seriously.

These are the states that require masks

Fireworks go off behind the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, on Saturday, July 4.

A family watches the fireworks display at The Ranch Event Complex in Loveland, Colorado.

Fireworks burst from the top of the Empire State Building during the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch as the US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the National Mall in Washington, DC.

People crowd the beach at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.

A man throws an American flag into a fire during protests at Columbus Circle in New York.

Christine Smith waits for the start of the Independence Day golf cart parade through Laguna Woods Village in Laguna Woods, California.

Malyah Guzman, 11, buries her cousin Jhadieo Guzman, 12, in the sand at Blue Marsh Lake in Bern Township, Pennsylvania.

Red and blue smoke is fired during the "Salute to America" event near the White House in Washington DC.

Lexi Edwards walks her dog Philly along the San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail in San Clemente, California.

Spectators watch a Fourth of July parade in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Dave Barnes and his wife Christy Barnes enjoy lunch at a restaurant in Manhattan Beach, California.

An aerial view of an empty beach in Manhattan Beach, California. Los Angeles County beaches were closed for the holiday in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Demonstrators stand on an American Flag while protesting racial injustice at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC.

Fireworks explode over Mount Rushmore during an early Independence Day celebration in Keystone, South Dakota, on Friday, July 3.

President Donald Trump smiles during an early Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore. During the event, President Trump made a divisive speech railing against the recent removal of monuments around the country.

People enjoy an amusement park ride on a pier in Wildwood, New Jersey.

People watch a movie at the Tribeca Drive-In at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

Friends play beach volleyball in Wildwood, New Jersey.

In pictures: Americans celebrate Independence Day

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A video posted on Instagram showed a crowd of maskless July Fourth revelers packed close together at Diamond Lake in Michigan.

“We can’t control what people do,” a resident who runs the Instagram page told CNN. The resident – who asked to remain anonymous, citing safety concerns – said that the majority of people in the video were either residents or make the area their summer home.

“We made announcements saying we’re trying not to have everybody right packed in tight,” the resident said. “We wanted to have more distance between people, and you know that’s just young people wanting to enjoying their freedom.”

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Fourth of July crowds

Crowds flocked to Virginia Beach shores Saturday, even after the city canceled its holiday fireworks display to “help keep Virginia Beach safe in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.”

CNN affiliate WAVY reported city officials warned residents of additional traffic because of the holiday, adding they anticipated tens of thousands of people would visit Virginia Beach.

Related article Some Americans mark Fourth of July with protests

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, saw similar scenes as beachgoers opted to celebrate by the water Saturday. Earlier this week, the state’s governor announced bars at Delaware beaches would be closed for the holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, in California, where many beaches in the southern part of the state closed for the holiday weekend, the beach crowds in San Diego were reminiscent of years past. CNN affiliate KSWB reported many were not social distancing or wearing masks.

“It seems pretty regular for the Fourth of July with definitely a lot of people,” Marine Safety Lt. Rich Stropky told the affiliate.

Masks and social distancing were also features that were mostly absent from the White House Fourth of July celebration. Tables on the White House South Lawn were somewhat spaced, with about six chairs per table.

And as people tried to beat the July heat, many congregated in the shady areas of the space, not distancing at all.

Local officials warn of rising cases and hospitalizations

Coronavirus cases were on the rise in 34 states over the past week, with 12 recording an increase of more than 50%, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Three states – Kentucky, New Hampshire and Vermont – are reporting a decline in cases.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 27: Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks to the media during a press conference at the Georgia State Capitol on April 27, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. The press conference was held to brief the media about the current situation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Georgia as the state reopens restaurants for dine-in customers. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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These are the states where cases are trending up: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Track the virus here

Nearly half of US states have halted their reopening plans as new coronavirus cases surged to record-breaking numbers in recent weeks.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat, told ABC’s “This Week” that her state “opened way too early.” She attributed much of the “explosion” in cases to people between the ages of 20 and 44.

Miami Beach’s Gelber told CNN that hospital capacity in his city is dropping. In the last two weeks, he said, hospitalizations have doubled.

“Too many people obviously are not taking seriously at all these admonishments to socially distance, to wear masks, all those things,” Gelber said.

Rising hospitalizations could lead to another shelter-in-place order, the mayor said.

“We’re going to try to avoid a full shelter in place, but we can’t take that out of the out of the equation because, frankly, if our hospital system is so overwhelmed, well, then we will have to consider that, obviously,” Gelber said.

Concerns about hospitalizations have also been felt in at least two Texas counties that said their hospitals hit maximum capacity.

HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 30: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) A member of the medical staff treats a patient in the Covid-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center on June 30, 2020 in Houston, Texas. Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have spiked since Texas reopened, pushing intensive-care wards to full capacity and sparking concerns about a surge in fatalities as the virus spreads. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)

Related article 2 Texas counties urge residents to shelter in place as hospitals reach capacity

In Starr County, at least two patients had to be flown out of the area for treatment.

“The local and valley hospitals are at full capacity and have no more beds available. I urge all of our residents to please shelter-in-place, wear face coverings, practice social distancing and AVOID GATHERINGS,” Judge Eloy Vera said.

In Hidalgo County, Judge Richard Cortez asked residents to shelter in place and “only call 911 if absolutely necessary.”

Cases are steady in 13 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

121 college students test positive in Washington

Outbreaks have been popping up around the country, including at the University of Washington in Seattle, where 121 students tested positive, according to a joint press release from the university and Public Health Seattle & King County.

Of those, 112 are residents of fraternity houses on Greek Row in the north section of campus, the release said. Students who tested positive but are not residents of the houses are close contacts.

On July 3, the student-led governing board for UW fraternities reported that at least 117 residents living in 15 fraternity houses self-reported positive tests, the release said.

"Tech Tower" at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia on March 24, 2019

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News of the infected students could signal what many colleges across the country face as they prepare for the fall semester and outline plans for on-campus housing.

In north Georgia, an unspecified number of counselors and campers from summer camps have tested positive for Covid-19 after one counselor was first confirmed positive on June 24, according to Lauren Koontz, CEO and president of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. The counselor was immediately sent home and both locations for Camp High Harbour were closed.

“We have since learned of additional positive Covid-19 test results of campers and staff,” Koontz said in a statement, “but cannot confirm a number.”

Koontz pointed out that while preparing for camp, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta collaborated with the CDC and the American Camp Association, in addition to following guidance outlined by the state.

CNN’s Lauren del Valle, Alta Spells, Nicky Robertson, Jason Hoffman, Jeremy Diamond, Chuck Johnston, Kay Jones and Ganesh Setty contributed to this report.