For the second straight day, Johns Hopkins reports that the U.S. has reported a record number of new cases of the novel coronavirus.
According to a Johns Hopkins database, more than 45,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Friday. That comes a day after more than 40,000 cases were reported on Thursday.
According to The Associated Press, many of the new cases have been reported in rural areas.
For many states and counties in the U.S., the dark days of the coronavirus pandemic in April unfolded on their television screens, not on their doorsteps.
But now, some places that appeared to have avoided the worst are seeing surges of infections, as worries shift from major cities to rural areas.
Much of the focus of concerns that the United States is entering a dangerous new phase has been on big Sunbelt states that are reporting thousands of new cases a day.
But the worrying trend is also happening in places like Kansas.
In early June, Kansas looked to be bringing its outbreak under control, but its daily reported case numbers have more than doubled in recent weeks.