Florida Sets a Record with 21,683 New Covid-19 Cases

Source:New York Times Coronavirus in the US: Latest Map and Case Count

Saturday, the state of Florida reported more new COVID-19 cases to the Centers for Disease Control than any previous day in the coronavirus pandemic: 21,683.

The largest one-day increase on record; 108 new deaths and over 10K hospitalized across the state according to federal health data released Saturday, as its theme park resorts again started asking visitors to wear masks indoors.

Florida is now the epicenter of COVID-19, with a fifth of all new cases in the the U.S.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has resisted mandatory mask mandates, vaccine requirements, and along with the state Legislature, has limited local officials’ ability to impose restrictions meant to stop the spread of COVID-19. DeSantis on Friday barred school districts from requiring students to wear masks when classes resume next month.

Here Are Some Things Happening in Florida

• Only a day earlier, Florida reported 17,093 new daily cases.
• The previous peak in Florida had been 19,334 cases reported on Jan. 7, before the vaccines became available.
• The last half of July looks like the start of Florida’s third COVID-19 peak, as the case numbers reported Thursday (17,093), Friday (17,589) and Saturday mix in with Jan. 6-8 to comprise the top six individual case count days. The average over the last seven days in 15,817 cases.
• By comparison, on July 12, 2020, the state reported a then-national record of 15,300 cases.
• Florida, which represents about 6.5% of the U.S. population, accounts for about 21.4%
• 9 hospitalizations are nearing last year’s peak, and one of the state’s largest health care systems, AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division, this week advised it would no longer be conducting non-emergency surgeries in order to free up resources for COVID-19 patients.
• Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld on Saturday became the latest theme park resorts in Florida to again ask visitors to wear masks indoors,
• Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld on Saturday became the latest theme park resorts in Florida to again ask visitors to wear masks indoors,
• SeaWorld on Saturday posted on its website that it was recommending that visitors follow recently updated federal recommendations and wear face coverings while indoors.
• Walt Disney World started requiring employees and guests older than 2 to wear masks on Friday
• The Walt Disney Company said in a statement that it will require all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. who work on-site to be fully vaccinated.
• Disney employees who aren’t already vaccinated will have 60 days to do so
• School districts in Broward and Gadsden counties have announced plans to again mandate mask-wearing to control the spread of the more contagious coronavirus delta variant.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron Desantis is threatening schools that the state may withhold funds if school districts make students wear masks.

Standing behind a lectern with a sign reading “Free to Choose,” the Governor announced Friday in Cape Coral his plan to issue an executive order instructing the departments of education and health to write rules protecting parents’ right to decide whether their children will mask up in schools.

What do you think about masks and protecting people from spreading COVID-19 further? Shouldn’t the Governor be trying to mitigate the virus, not declaring war on one of two tools we have to stop it? Please leave us your thoughts in the comments.

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