July Fourth Celebrations Are Subdued as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge

By and

President Trump was set to host a large celebration in the nation’s capital, with fireworks on the National Mall, even as the city’s mayor urged people to stay home because of coronavirus concerns. Organizers are providing 300,000 masks and strongly encouraging usage and social distancing but won’t take action against those who don’t comply.

Mr. Trump on Friday visited Mount Rushmore for an event and fireworks display—attracting thousands of attendees with little social distancing and few masks. Ahead of the event, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top campaign aide and the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., tested positive for the virus in South Dakota, said a person familiar with the events. Mr. Trump Jr., who tested negative, and Ms. Guilfoyle didn’t travel with the president to the state and weren’t with him before the festivities.

For many Americans, the pandemic has upended the traditional holiday celebrations.

Robert B. Whitehill, a 57-year-old resident of Montclair, N.J., said he and his family often attend fireworks displays or community parades on the Fourth of July. This year, they are opting for a quiet, socially-distanced gathering outdoors with a few neighbors.

“We’re all about limiting exposure to crowds,” said Mr. Whitehill.

The nation on Friday added 52,104 cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, bringing total confirmed infections to almost 2.8 million cases. Florida, Texas, California and Arizona were among the hardest-hit states, while a number of other states set records for new daily cases.

The U.S. has the highest number of fatalities globally, with more than 129,400, according to data from Johns Hopkins. The U.S. currently has 39.56 deaths per 100,000 residents, which places it among the top 10 countries in the world in that metric.

However, the U.S. doesn’t have the highest percentage of fatal cases—currently at about 4.4%, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project. And the case-fatality count in the U.S. has dropped a bit, from about 5.1%, over the last two weeks.

Infectious-disease epidemiologists caution that deaths typically lag behind other indicators, as the disease often progresses over the course of weeks in the most severe cases.

The Florida health department on Saturday reported more than 11,400 new cases, setting a new daily record.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered a countywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Friday and said it would be effective until further notice. He also ordered entertainment venues, including movie theaters and casinos, to close again after reopening in May.

“The curfew is meant to stop people from venturing out and hanging out with friends in groups, which has shown to be spreading the virus rapidly,” the mayor said.

While elected officials shared patriotic messages in honor of the holiday, they also reminded their constituencies to keep the pandemic in mind during the holiday.

“During these challenging times, I urge you to use your freedom for good. Do the right thing & let’s stop the spread of Covid-19,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said on Twitter.

Georgia added 2,784 new coronavirus cases on Friday, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Johns Hopkins data, one of the state’s highest single-day increases.

Los Angeles County, which has the most cases in the country according to Johns Hopkins, has canceled Fourth of July fireworks and beaches are closed. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged residents to stay home.

“We’re going to have to celebrate differently this year,” the Democrat wrote on Twitter. “Everyone should cancel plans with others for the Fourth of July. You shouldn’t gather with anyone who doesn’t live in your household.”

In New York, once the center of the pandemic in the U.S., the annual Macy Inc.’s fireworks show was taking place as five-minute displays throughout the week in unannounced locations to prevent viewers from congregating.

For many businesses, already struggling after months of shutdowns, the holiday weekend has brought extra cost.

Eric Miller, the chef and operating partner at Silver Lining Diner, a restaurant in New York’s tony Hamptons community, said the Fourth of July would normally bring a steady flow of customers, as well as the chance to cater as many as 20 large events. But this year, Mr. Miller expects a small number of patrons—he has limited himself to only offering outdoor dining because of safety concerns—and he has just five catering orders.

“Nobody in their right mind is gathering in groups,” he said.

Mr. Trump on Saturday signed into law a bill extending the timeline for small businesses to apply for forgivable loans. The bill extending the Paycheck Protection Program passed the House and the Senate this week.

World-wide, confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 11.1 million, with more than 525,750 deaths.

India, one of the worst-hit nations, on Saturday reported a single-day record of 22,771 new cases, bringing the nation’s total to 648,315, data from the country’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed. India’s death toll stands at 18,655, including 442 in the preceding 24 hours.

New Delhi’s broader strategy to contain the virus has been enforcement of strict lockdown measures in areas with high caseloads, enhanced testing and isolation of positive patients. However, cases continue to rise, straining an overwhelmed health-care system.

In Australia, the southern state of Victoria reported 108 new cases Saturday—its second-highest daily increase and biggest jump since late March. The growing number of infections has led to officials urging residents in designated “hot zones” to stay at home, while nine government-housing estates in the capital Melbourne were formally locked down Saturday.

It will last for at least five days to allow testing of about 3,000 residents, who will be required to stay inside their homes for the duration of the lockdown.

Across England, pubs, restaurants, libraries, museums, cinemas and hairdressers opened for the first time in more than three months.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised people to behave responsibly. “As pubs and restaurants open across England today, it is absolutely vital that everyone follows the rules on social distancing,” he tweeted.

With more than 44,000 people across the U.K. having died from Covid-19, many people took to social media to say they wouldn’t be going because it was happening too soon.

Pubs haven’t opened everywhere in the U.K. Northern Ireland followed England, but pubs in Scotland and Wales didn’t reopen as governments there have taken a more cautious approach to ending restrictions. Leicester, a city in the English Midlands, was also this week put back into lockdown following a jump in cases there.

For all the pandemic-related cancellations of holiday events in the U.S., the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest—a Fourth of July tradition at Brooklyn’s Coney Island going back decades—was able to take place, albeit without the usual crowd of cheering spectators because of safety restrictions.

This year’s winners set world records. Returning 12-time men’s champ Joey Chestnut, considered the most dominant competitor in the history of the sport, devoured 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes, easily surpassing other contestants in the men’s division. Similarly, Miki Sudo, another frequent past victor, beat her fellow eaters on the women’s side with a mark of 48.5 hot dogs.

For the first time in recent memory, the event, which was televised live on ESPN, was held indoors in an undisclosed Coney Island location with minimal spectators. So while competitors didn’t have the masses for support, they had the benefit of not chomping down in the midday heat.

“Being inside helped,” Mr. Chestnut said on ESPN after his record-breaking victory.

Corrections & Amplifications Silver Lining Diner is the name of a restaurant in New York’s Hamptons community. An earlier version of this article incorrectly called it Silver Lining Dollar. (Corrected on July 4.)

Write to Charles Passy at cpassy@wsj.com and Wenxin Fan at Wenxin.Fan@wsj.com