Washington, June 19 (RHC)-- Top infectious disease scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that the United States is “still in the first wave” of COVID-19 infections, as 10 states reported record levels of the disease and the official U.S. death toll approached 118,000. 

Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas all posted their highest seven-day averages of new daily infections since the pandemic began.

Florida reported over 2,600 new cases on Wednesday, nearly matching a record high set a day earlier.  Among the new cases were 16 friends who shared a night out at an Irish pub in Jacksonville on June 6th.  Seven employees of the restaurant also tested positive. 

Despite the record level of infections, the Republican National Committee is seeking hundreds of local businesses to sign up as vendors at its presidential nominating convention in Jacksonville in late August, which will be held in a 15,000-seat arena.

Florida has officially recorded over 3,000 COVID-19 deaths, and even as cases are skyrocketing, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis says he’s ruling out any new restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.