What areas of the US are considered the next coronavirus hot spots?

As the coronavius outbreak extends its reach across the United States, several cities are emerging as hot spots for the fast-spreading contagion.

There are more than 105,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University. New York City has seen the largest number of cases with more than 26,000 and 450 deaths, but other cities could have significant surges next week.

Chicago

Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s mayor, predicted earlier this week that Illinois Gov. J.B. Prtizker’s stay-at-home order could extend deep into April, according to the Associated Press.

She warned the city could see more than 40,000 coronavirus hospitalizationsover the next few weeks, according to WMAQ-TV

“We are looking at a number of different projections based on modeling being done across the city,” Lightfoot said, the TV station reported. “That number is real and is sobering.”

Illinois’ coronavirus cases have been “rising sharply” since March 9 and there were 3,026 confirmed cases in the state as of Friday, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

Chicago has accounted for 1,489 of Illinois’ 3,026 cases, the city reported. Twelve people, including one juvenile, has died from the virus in Chicago.

Detroit

The police chief of Detroit, James Craig, is among Michigan’s 3,657 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Bridge Michigan. More than 80 percent of the state’s cases are in the Detroit area, which includes Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, according to The Associated Press.

Twenty-eight people in Detroit have died from the virus, the city reported. More than 800 of the city’s cases have been reported since March 18, while there were only 48 confirmed cases the week prior, according to WJBK.

“Part of what we’re seeing in Detroit is that there’s such a higher number of individuals who have those underlying conditions — who have diabetes and the heart disease, who may have obesity,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive at Michigan’s health department said Thursday, WJBK reported.

Dr. Teena Chopra, an infectious disease expert at Detroit Medical Center, told Bridge Michigan it’s “scary” how fast the virus is spreading in Detroit.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked President Donald Trump for a major disaster declaration. Trump approved the declaration Saturday after remarking on Fox News his administration has had a “big problem” with the Michigan governor.

New Orleans

There are more than 2,746 confirmed coronavirus cases in Louisiana, including 1,170 cases In New Orleans, the city said. The state has the second-highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita in the country, WDSU reported. At least 119 people have died from COVID-19 in the state.

Hospital capacity in the New Oreleans region was dwindling Thursday, the city’s homeland security director, Collin Arnold, told USA Today.

“New Orleans Is preparing to mobilize in a way we hope we will never see again in our lifetimes,” Arnold told USA Today. “This disaster will define us for generations.”

Health experts say Mardi Gras likely contributed to the escalation of cases, with one doctor calling it the “perfect incubator at the perfect time,” according to the New York Times.

Allison Player, The Data Center’s chief demographer, said Wednesday New Orleans residents have higher rates of blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases and conditions that could lead to higher fatality rates from COVID-19, according to Forbes.

The Atlantic calls New Orleans a “global epicenter of the pandemic” as 7 percent of all US deaths and hospitalizations have occurred in the city despite it accounting for just 1 percent of the country’s population.

Who else?

While U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Friday that Chicago, Detroit and New Orleans could become the next “hot spots,” other cities are also seeing their coronavirus numbers surge.

A big jump in cases has been found in Miami, where there are 869 cases as of Friday, the Miami Herald reported. More drive-thru testing sites have opened in Miami, which is a factor in the surge, the Herald said.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has tested positive for coronavirus, believes thousands of people in the Miami community have the virus, he told Business Insider.

“Where New York Is today may be where Miami Is tomorrow,” Suarez said, adding that its impact can become “apocalyptic.”

In the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, there are more than 700 confirmed cases as of Friday, the Star-Telegram reported. Dallas County has been hit harder than any other Texas county, with more than 360 confirmed cases.

Nearly 40 people have been confirmed to have the virus at a supported living center in nearby Denton County, according to the Star-Telegram.

Axios also noted Boston and Philadelphia as cities that could become epicenters if they are not able to control their number of cases soon.

This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 10:33 AM.