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Washington, United States:
The United States marked an unusually somber Independence Day on Saturday, as a document surge in coronavirus circumstances, anti-racism protests and an indignant speech from President Donald Trump forged a shadow over what usually are festive celebrations.
Popular seashores on each coasts — usually packed on July 4th — had been closed as California and Florida endure alarming surges in COVID-19 infections, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned residents to “assume everyone around you is infectious.”
Across the nation, Main Street parades have been canceled, yard barbecues scaled down, and household reunions postpone on a day when Americans sometimes have fun their 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.
But others, weary of lockdowns or just defiant, carried on as if the lethal pandemic had been a factor of the previous.
Florida on Saturday marked a brand new day by day excessive in confirmed virus circumstances at 11,458 — way over every other state. Miami Beach imposed a curfew and made mask-wearing obligatory in public, but some Florida seashores remained open.
The seaside at New York’s Coney Island was additionally open and crowded, with few carrying masks.
Mark Ruiz got here together with his spouse and two kids, regardless of being “definitely worried” in regards to the virus.
“I just can’t stay home on the Fourth of July, I got to take my kids out,” he advised AFP. “We can’t be in a bubble all summer.”
Coney Island additionally hosted a particular socially distanced model of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest — gained for the 13th yr in a row by Joey Chestnut, who set a brand new world document downing 75 sizzling canine in 10 minutes.
Health officers have been bracing for a brand new spike in virus circumstances after this weekend, which they see as a possible tipping level for extra infections.
The US virus dying rely is quick approaching 130,000, roughly one-quarter the world’s whole.
Fireworks canceled
Fireworks shows are sometimes a excessive level of the vacation, however an estimated 80 p.c of the occasions have been canceled this yr.
Local officers in Washington have discouraged massing on the National Mall for the capital’s fireworks show.
People had been out even so, with some saying they had been compelled to be there at a second when the US is each grappling with the virus and present process a historic looking on racism.
“It’s time for us to stop bragging that we are super special, that the world should follow, we need to look inside to see what’s wrong with us. We never honestly asked ourselves about race in this country,” 54-year-old Mary Byrne advised AFP.
Trump plans to absorb Saturday’s “Salute to America” in Washington, full with army music and flyovers, from a White House balcony.
He and his spouse, Melania, launched a video message wishing Americans “a very, very happy Fourth of July.”
The president was optimistic in regards to the virus. “We got hit with this terrible plague from China,” he mentioned, “and now we are getting close to fighting our way out of it.”
Trump’s deal with on the Washington festivities pays tribute to well being care staff, police and the army, White House spokesman Judd Deere advised AFP.
Social distancing can be noticed, he added.
“Violent mayhem”
The earlier night Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore, the place he upended the custom of presidents giving inspiring and unifying speeches on July 4th by lashing out at protests which have erupted since unarmed African American George Floyd was killed by police.
Facing a troublesome re-election battle in November and wanting to mobilize his political base, Trump denounced “violent mayhem” on US streets, although most demonstrations have been peaceable.
His presidential challenger, Democrat Joe Biden, struck a sharply totally different tone, tweeting Saturday: “Our nation was founded on a simple idea: We’re all created equal. We’ve never lived up to it — but we’ve never stopped trying. This Independence Day, let’s not just celebrate those words, let’s commit to finally fulfill them.”
Protests have continued in lots of US cities since Floyd’s killing in May, and greater than a rating had been happening Saturday in Washington.
All needs to be over earlier than the night time’s celebration on the Mall, set to begin at 6:40pm (22H40 GMT).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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