Why is coronavirus still surging in the US?

The US recorded a new all-time daily high of 52,000 new Covid-19 cases on 1 July, according to John Hopkins figures, as Donald Trump repeated his belief the virus would ‘just disappear’.

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America has now had more than 2.7 million confirmed cases – more than double that of Brazil, the second most-affected country. Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’s top infectious disease expert, has said the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’, infections could more than double and the subsequent death toll ‘is going to be very disturbing’.

The Guardian’s Ed Pilkington looks at why a patchwork approach to lifting lockdowns, as well as the president’s mixed messages on wearing a mask, has led to confusion across the country and why some states are having to clamp down on restrictions again

From miracle cures to masks: how Trump has defied science on coronavirus – video explainer ► https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/jun/25/from-miracle-cures-to-slowing-testing-how-trump-has-defied-science-on-coronavirus-video-explainer

Trump hopes coronavirus will ‘just disappear’ and says he’s ‘all for masks’ – video ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/jul/02/trump-hopes-coronavirus-will-just-disappear-and-says-hes-all-for-masks-video

Coronavirus – latest US updates ► https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2020/jul/02/us-new-coronavirus-case-records-russian-bounty-row-covid-19-donald-trump-live-updates

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In This Story: Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in both South America and Latin America.

Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states and the Federal District. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas, as well as the most populous Roman Catholic-majority country.

Its Amazon basin includes a vast tropical forest, home to diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats. Brazil is classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank and a newly industrialized country.