Coronavirus continues to spread at high rates across the South, Midwest and west, even as the total number of new covid-19 cases in the US has declined since a summer surge. But deaths from the virus have remained high. The seven -day average of daily coronavirus deaths was just over 1,000 on Tuesday, the 16th consecutive days the US averaged over 1,000 deaths per day.

 Experts say the virus will continue to rattle American society untill people more seriously adopt recommended public health measures: social distancing, avoiding large indoor gatherings, hand-washing, mask-wearing, rapid testing and quarantining the sick.

 Adjusting for population, states in the Southeast are seeing the most new cases. Georgia and Florida -- states led by Republican governors who have not issued face mask requirements -- have the highest per capita new cases over the last seven days, followed by Alabama and Mississippi.


On Wednesday, Florida reported more than 8,000 new cases and 212 new deaths, according to data released by the Florida Department of Health.


Covid-19 causes worse outcomes for older people, but young people are not immune. In Florida, people under 44 make up about 57% of the state's 545,000 cases, 20% of the state's 31,900 hospitalizations, and 3% of the state's 8,765 deaths, according to state data.