Thread by @nytimes

The first wave of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. never really ended, and cases are surging again.

But this time, a different and much bigger swath of the country is feeling the effects. nyti.ms/31EUx9t

The first peak of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. came at the beginning of April, as 30,000 cases a day were reported. Hotspots were concentrated in just a few places.

By late June the virus had spread to the rest of the U.S., and daily cases have now reached record levels.

In parts of the U.S., the coronavirus seemed a distant threat 2 months ago.

But cases have more than tripled in some places in Florida. In Texas, more than 6,000 cases are diagnosed every day. Some Houston hospitals are so full, patients are being sent to other cities.

The shift of the U.S. outbreak means new groups are now experiencing its effects.

In early April, the New York City area had almost half of all new cases some days. But the current surge has left few counties untouched in much of the South. nyti.ms/31EUx9t

Among the areas currently seeing a rapid increase in cases are majority-Hispanic counties along the Southern border, Native American reservations in the Southwest, and majority-Black counties in the Southeast. nyti.ms/31EUx9t

The rapid spread of the coronavirus in regions that had previously avoided much of its impact — Arizona, Texas, Florida — has caused some state and local governments to reverse plans to reopen.

Explore more about the recent surge here. nyti.ms/31EUx9t