While states lift more restrictions and more Americans go out to socialize or protest, almost half of U.S states are seeing higher rates of new coronavirus cases.
But the situation would have been much worse had states not shut down, a new study says.
More than 1.9 million Americans have been infected, and more than 110,000 have died in just over four months, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Nationwide, 22 states are seeing upward trends in coronavirus cases. About 20 states have seen decreases in recent days, and eight states are holding steady.
One of the states with the biggest spikes in new cases is Florida. The number of new cases reported each day has increased an average of roughly 46% over the past week, just as most of the state entered a second phase of reopening.
While big cities on the coasts were hit hard early in the pandemic, the past few weeks have seen wider spread in inland states, including Arkansas, Texas and Arizona.
In Utah, state Rep. Suzanne Harrison called a recent spike of cases "very concerning (and) approaching exponential."
"Today's 18.5% positive test rate is double yesterday's (9.4%)," she tweeted over the weekend.
Friday, health officials in Utah said they were "very concerned" about the rise in new cases over the past week.
The state has recorded more than 12,000 infections, according to Johns Hopkins.
Health officials raise concerns of virus spreading among protests
Health officials have raised concern about coronavirus spread as thousands of people are now braving a pandemic to participate in the national protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday it was closely monitoring the demonstrations taking place across the U.S. and warned such gatherings could spur coronavirus transmission. Some states are already seeing upward trends of new cases.
For three months, the country passed one grim milestone after the other, hitting 100,000 coronavirus deaths in late May. Public health officials have said without the lockdowns that most states put in place, that death toll could have been significantly higher.
As those lockdowns were lifted and other measures were loosened, the CDC and other top health officials urged Americans to use face coverings when they go out and always maintain a distance.
But the large protests make it hard to keep the recommended social distancing guidelines and "may put others at risk," CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund said in a statement.
"It is too early to know what, if any, effect these events will have on the federal COVID-19 response. Every local situation is different. State and local officials will make decisions to protect public health and safety based on circumstances on the ground," she said.
Earlier this month, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said protesters should be evaluated and tested for the virus.
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