NEW YORK — Tennessee emerged on Wednesday as an epicenter of the latest COVID-19 surge as U.S. political leaders sought to guard against a highly contagious variant sweeping across Britain.
The southern state averaged nearly 128 new infections per 100,000 people over the last seven days, the highest state rate in the country, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. It was followed by California at 111 new cases per 100,000 residents.
“Our state is ground zero for a surge in COVID-19 and we need Tennesseans to (do) their part,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said on Twitter with a graphic stating: “Tennessee cannot sustain another holiday surge.”
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Keep on reading: Tennessee emerges as new COVID-19 epicenter in US as pandemic rages