- A second wave of American cities are seeing increased coronavirus cases.
- They could turn into new epicenters if they can't control those cases — New Orleans is particularly at risk.
- The more hotspots there are, the more resources get strained.
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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, Census Bureau; Note: The metros used are OMB's Combined Statistical Areas, which include surrounding communities; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios
A second wave of cities, including Boston, Detroit, New Orleans, and Philadelphia, are seeing increases in confirmed coronavirus cases, and could become epicenters for the outbreak if they're not able to bring those cases under control soon.
Why it matters: Whether these cities can prevent their outbreaks from spiraling out of control will be a major test for the US' ability to contain the virus.
New Orleans in particular is nearing a crisis, with hospitals already becoming overwhelmed and supplies of medical safety gear running low, per the New York Times.
- Orleans Parish has experienced the highest number of deaths per capita of any county in the US.
What we're watching: Other cities may have even higher numbers of cases, but just haven't tested enough people to know it.
Between the lines: The US has finite medical resources, including personnel as well as medical supplies like ventilators. The more hotspots we have at one time, the higher the demand for these resources.
The bottom line: State or city borders will not contain the virus. It moved from a market in Wuhan, China, to all 5o US states within three months.