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Mark Rupp said. The virus is blamed for more than 6.5 million confirmed infections and 195,000 deaths in the U.S., by far the highest totals of any country, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University. While case numbers have fallen from a peak average of 67,000 new infections per day in late July to about 36,000 now, the numbers remain staggeringly high. Deaths are running at about 750 a day, down from a peak of over 2,200 in late April. In recent days, Mississippi has allowed restaurants to expand their customer capacity to 75 %. New Jersey reopened gyms and indoor dining at restaurants, though with limited capacity. Michigans governor allowed gyms to reopen and organized sports to resume. County commissioners in Pinellas County, Fla., on Thursday are set to discuss whether to repeal their mask ordinance. While some Americans may see such things as a welcome step closer to normal, public health experts warn the U.S. is setting itself up for failure — again. ( iStock) Public health experts noted that it is safe to resume certain activities in communities where there are low levels of infection. The nations top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared via video at Vermont Gov. Phil Scotts virus briefing Tuesday and praised the states response and its steps to reopen safely. Anthony Fauci chalked it up to Vermonts emphasis on wearing masks, avoiding crowds and taking other simple precautions. But elsewhere, experts said, case counts are too high to resume higher-risk activities, such as going to bars, gyms, theaters and stadiums, participating in close contact sports or eating inside a restaurant. In most communities in Florida, bars were allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity on Monday, while keeping some precautions in place. But Floridas three biggest counties Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are keeping their bars closed because of high case numbers. Even in places where drinking establishments have been given the OK to reopen, some owners and customers alike are hesitant. At The Leon Pub, a smoky bar a mile up the road from Floridas Capitol in Tallahassee, the Monday night crowd was sparse, as Leon Pub has been for much of the long, oppressive summer. Leon Pub been crickets and tumbleweeds, said bartender Lauren Bryant. Among the few there were Allie Preston and her husband. Weve been cooped up for a while. It was nice to have normalcy, she said. Florida bars were shuttered on St. Patricks Day in March, allowed to reopen in June, then ordered closed again about two weeks later as virus cases surged. Leon Pub was allowed to reopen in July because it had a restaurant license. Jim Smith, owner of Poor Pauls Pourhouse in Tallahassee, intends to keep Jim Smith place closed until the outbreak is over. I miss going to work every day. I miss seeing the customers and employees.