The United States marked an unusually somber Independence Day on Saturday, as a record surge in coronavirus cases, anti-racism protests and an angry speech from President Donald Trump cast a shadow over what normally are festive celebrations.
Popular beaches on both coasts -- normally packed on July 4th -- were closed as California and Florida suffer alarming surges in COVID-19 infections, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned citizens to "assume everyone around you is infectious."
Across the country, Main Street parades have been canceled, backyard barbecues scaled down, and family reunions put off on a day when Americans typically celebrate their 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.
But others, weary of lockdowns or simply defiant, carried on as if the deadly pandemic were a thing of the past.
Florida on Saturday marked a new daily high in confirmed virus cases at 11,458 -- far more than any other state. Miami Beach imposed a curfew and made mask-wearing mandatory in public, yet some Florida beaches remained openHealth officials have been bracing for a new spike in virus cases after this weekend, which they see as a potential tipping point for more infections.
The US virus death count is fast approaching 130,000, roughly one-quarter the world's total.
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