The New York Times – Why Are Coronavirus Cases Decreasing? Experts Say Restrictions Are Working. “After coronavirus cases surged in June and July, the number of new reported cases per day in the United States began to level off, then drop, though the infection rate remains one of the world’s highest. Of the states that are driving the decrease, all have at least some local mask mandates, and most have paused or reversed statewide reopening policies, again closing bars, gyms and theaters. Many of those states with the biggest decreases per million people also had some of the country’s worst outbreaks in July. Experts said that the drop in reported cases could not be attributed simply to the recent drop in testing volume . They explained that decreased hospitalizations and a lower share of positive tests indicated that the spread had most likely slowed. The July surge in Florida affected young people in particular. Statewide bar closures following earlier reopenings and local mask mandates are among the policies that have helped reverse the trend, said Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, chair of the Florida International University epidemiology department. Arizona also had a sharp drop. Dr. Joe Gerald, an associate professor of public health policy at the University of Arizona, attributed the decrease to mask orders in the state’s biggest cities, news media coverage of the heightened risk and also the closure of bars, gyms and theaters after they started reopening in May…”