The predicted fall surge is here. On Friday, the U.S. reported at least 69,000 new cases of COVID-19, the most in one day since July. It was the second day in a row that the case count surpassed 64,000. Experts say increased daily deaths are soon to follow as well. The country peaked in July at more than 77,000 cases daily but by mid-September it had decreased to nearly 34,300. Thursday’s and Friday’s skyrocket was a 60 percent increase on September’s dip. Johns Hopkins University reported that more than 30 states throughout the U.S. saw more cases this week than they did the previous week. On Friday, at least 10 states had their highest case count since the pandemic even started.