Trump ventures to host July 4th celebrations amid rising COVID-19 cases

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump headed to Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday to kick off July 4th celebrations amid a nationwide surge of new coronavirus cases.

Some 7,500 people are expected to attend the outdoor event. Masks will be available for those who want them but are not required.

Latest figures: The U.S. has suffered the most from the pandemic, with 2,788,395 cases and a death toll of 129,306, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University. The country's daily new cases have been breaking records in recent days, adding over 52,000 on Thursday.

According to the Washington Post, at least 20 states set record highs for the average of new cases over seven days, with Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina tallying the highest number of infections.