THE TRUMP MODEL:

As of Wednesday afternoon, Arizona had at least 28,296 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,706 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, which also showed a concerning upward trend. The state had 1,553 new cases on June 5, its highest daily peak for new cases since the pandemic began. According to a comparison of all 50 states, the Johns Hopkins data showed that Arizona had among the biggest upward case trends of any state in the U.S.

After the state's largest hospital system warned on Monday that its intensive care units were quickly approaching capacity, state and national experts called the upward case trend so "alarming" as to raise the possibility of a second stay-at-home lockdown order, The Arizona Republic first reported.

If nothing else, the situation there seemed like one that might have been plucked out of New York City or another COVID hot zone months ago, rather than a state in the middle of reopening. It was especially remarkable given the state's largely lauded initial lockdown, which experts said "had teeth" and appeared effective. At least until it ended.

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