The United States reported an 8pc rise in new cases of Covid-19 to 490,000 last week, the fourth week in a row that infections have increased, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.

In the week ended April 11, Michigan reported the highest number of new cases per capita of all 50 states and also led the country in hospitalisations per capita.

Around 39pc of new cases in Michigan were of the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant of the virus first identified in the United Kingdom, the highest percentage in the United States, according to CDC data collected over a four-week period that ended on March 13. At the same time that cases were starting to rise in early March, Michigan relaxed Covid restrictions.

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