Florida recorded over 15,000 new coronavirus cases, the highest single day total of any US since the coronavirus pandemic started
The increase in infections pushed Florida to reach a total of 269,811 coronavirus cases. This is higher than the number of cases that highly populated countries like Spain, Italy and France have.
While other places like New York state exceeded the peak of their coronavirus outbreaks months ago, coronavirus transmission in Florida has widened after a relatively quiet spring.
Over 18,000 people were confined in hospitals in Florida since the pandemic started in the state. According to the Florida Department of Health, 45 more people died, making the death toll reach 4,346.
Florida tested 143,000 people in Saturday. Results showed that 11.25% of the tests are positive for coronavirus. This is considered the lowest rate of positive Covid-19 test results in Florida since the end of June as more people take the test.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the percentage of people tested who came out positive of Covid-19 was much higher at 18.35%.
Testing efforts
Admiral Brett Giroir, head of the US government's testing efforts, explained that the rate of positive test results has settled this week even as it is still high in hotspot states.
Giroir noted the potential increase of hospitalizations and deaths over the next two to three weeks before also stabilizing and then decreasing.
“We do expect deaths to go up. If you have more cases, more hospitalizations, we do expect to see that over the next two or three weeks before this turns around,” Giroir said during an interview with ABC’s “This Week.”
“We’re not out of this at all, we’re all very concerned,” he said, “but we have seen this week a leveling of what we call the percent positive. That’s our sort of first indicator, if that levels we’re going to see emergency rooms drop, hospitalizations drop.“
However, Giroir said that mitigation measures held by state and local governments can affect the trajectory of the virus. He emphasized the importance of mask wearing particularly for the 90% of people in hotspot areas in order to reverse the trend.
He also stressed the importance of closing restaurants and bars as well as lockdowns.
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams recommends wearing of mask to turn the coronavirus outbreak around.
President Donald Trump was seen wearing a mask during his visit at Walter Reed military hospital. This is deemed a change in the administration’s stance on the issue. Trump previously doubted the need to wear a mask, and it became a contentious subject for different parties.
Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered bars to discontinue on-premise alcohol drinking has refused to release a statewide mask mandate.
School reopening in Florida
While Florida continues to record a high number of coronavirus cases, the state is scheduled to hold the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville next month. Florida also mandated schools to reopen in August for at least five days a week.
Trump told governors to reopen schools in the fall and threatened to slash their federal funds if they did not reopen.
The superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools emphasized the importance of using science, not politics, as the basis of school reopening.
Miami-Dade will implement a mix of in-person classes five days a week and distance learning options for the district's school reopening.
“It is quite possible if the social behavior and the restrictions in place, if people wear masks, if people exercise social distancing that conditions may be appropriate and healthy for students to return to the very best model of teaching and learning which is in-person,” Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said during NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“But we need the community’s collaboration,” Carvalho said. “We need the science to drive the practice rather than politics influencing what is legitimately a community concern.”
