The reason is simple: the US is experiencing a surge in cases, with states such as Florida, Texas and California reporting thousands of new confirmed cases in recent weeks.

At the peak of the pandemic in April, 59,538 people were hospitalized nationwide on April 15, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That number reached its lowest level on June 15 with 27,772 people hospitalized. But as of July 20, that number has climbed back up to 58,330 -- just hints beneath April's high.

Adm. Brett Giroir, an official on the White House coronavirus task force, said on Monday there was "no question we are having a surge right now."

But while President Donald Trump, his allies and some Republican governors have pointed to increased testing as the reason, others have rightly pointed out that hospitalizations are not the result of testing, as testing does not send people to the hospital.

Only a serious illness like Covid-19 would do that.

"As rates of testing increase, we also are seeing increases in three other key indicators that suggest we are seeing a real increase in Covid infections," said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the Infectious Diseases Division at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She cited hospitalization rates, positivity rates, and deaths, which are now increasing in 26 states.

Here's how the coronavirus is affecting hospitals in areas where it is spreading.

Hospitalizations in Florida

Hospitalizations in Florida have risen by more than a third in just the 12 days since the state started releasing daily hospitalization data. Data from the Covid Tracking Project and the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) show a 37% rise in hospitalizations since data became available July 10.

There are more than 9,500 people hospitalized in Florida and least 53 hospitals in 27 counties said they had no more beds in their ICUs, according to AHCA data.

Statewide, ICU bed availability stands at 15.98% -- that's "available adult ICU beds," according to AHCA data. On Monday, the available ICU bed count was 18.1%.

Miami-Dade County has exceeded its ICU capacity, with 130% occupancy on Monday, according to the county's Covid-19 dashboard.

Another number to consider: More than 3 million people in Florida have been tested for Covid-19 with 350,047 testing positive. The overall positivity rate as of Monday morning was 18.7%, up from 18.2% on Sunday, according to John Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.

For comparison, in New York City, where the pandemic first took hold in the US, officials reported a positivity rate of just 2%.

Hospitalizations in California

California was the first state to issue a stay-at-home order on March 18.

Less than a month later, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said residents had "bent the curve," and the state started to phase out the early stages of its reopening plan in May.

Then cases surged. Newsom banned indoor dining, shuttered bars and forced many busi