Florida surpasses 10,000 Covid-19 cases for fifth consecutive day

Florida reported 12,523 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, marking the fifth consecutive day the hot-spot state reported more than new 10,000 infections, according to the state’s health department.

The state has reported more than 11,865 new cases of Covid-19 on average over the past seven days, up 29% from a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The Florida Department of Health says the virus has infected more than 350,047 people in the state and killed at least 4,982 people.

The state has reported more than 10,000 new cases per day since Tuesday. Of the past 10 days, Florida has reported more than 10,000 new cases on nine of those days, according to the state health department. It reported a record spike of 15,244 new cases on July 11.

Hospitalizations have risen in recent weeks as well. As of Sunday, 49 hospitals had no more available adult intensive care units, according to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration.

“The residents here are terrified and I’m terrified, for the first time in my career because there’s a lack of leadership,” Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala, whose district is in Miami-Dade County, said on ABC’s “This Week.” “It’s terrible. We have community spread, which means the virus is out of control.”

The lack of both federal and state leadership from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has hampered local officials’ ability to bring the virus under control, said Shalala, who was secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton. She added that the state did not shut down for long enough to “starve the virus” and that the governor has declined to issue a statewide mask order.

DeSantis’ office did not immediately return CNBC’s request for comment.

“In my district, it’s low-income minorities: Hispanics and African Americans,” she said, “who are forced to go back to work for economic reasons and because their employers demanded they go back to work.”

She added that the people in her district live in multigenerational households, so those who become infected often pass it on to their older family members.

Over the past seven days, the median age of newly infected people in Florida was above 40, according to the state’s health department. That marks a steady rise since mid-June, when DeSantis noted that the median age of those testing positive had fallen from 65.5 years old in March to 37 in June, hitting a low of 33 on June 24.

DeSantis has pointed to the lower age of patients as evidence that the state is effectively protecting its most vulnerable residents. Younger people are less likely to become severely sick and die from Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as more and more young people have contracted the virus, they appear to have passed it on to older, more vulnerable population.

“There is more testing now than there was then so that may account for some of this but I think we’re seeing a true increase in cases in older adults, which makes sense given the overall large increase in cases,” Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, told CNBC last week.

“We need to close down in Florida,” Shalala said. “Our economy will not come back until we meet this virus at its head and bring it down.”


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[skankhunt]

Florida always living up to its reputation.

[bunbao]

they're positive but they're not dead, this is why people aren't scared

[mrbrazilliant]

Then when they go back from visiting disney and get their family members sick or killed i dont want to read no i regret or im sorry posts on FB. You brought this on yourselves.

[xavierperkins]

But didn't they open Disney world 😂

[tamalagraham]

That's what happens when you open up the state to fast . So worried about the money instead of the people health and safety. Now, Florida state is in such disaster. People please wear your mask so that we all can heal from this as a nation. Thanks ! 😔

[davidchase]

Florida has come down with a case of the "lies".

[sunshine.]

Don't forget, these are tests that were taken last week. Results are lagging a few days in every state, but esp long in some. Florida is one of those states.

[rickrouse]

i trust the news like i trust a broken condom

[doogandoggin]

Good job Florida. You've got this totally under control.

[-KillaWatt-]

When you wonder why there is so much focus on Florida and then you realize Florida was a swing state last election....

[NiftyShifty]

Imagine a virus so deadly that you have to take a test to know that you had it or still have it.

[NonnofYobiznes]

Well well well... Look at the party state, who would've imagined.

[danielvandermerwe]

I live in Florida and they are telling you are positive even though you haven’t had the test. It’s crazy how much these smaller labs are making. Don’t believe the hype. Eat well is the best defense so far.

[NoRamNobiosNoService]

Thank you Florida
For you contribution....

[handsoffmygunmf]

Cases were probably higher 4 months ago, but the testing wasn't being done to show it. When my state got free testing for all, our numbers of cases went up on paper. The cases are actually down, because the number of deaths are down from back in the winter. The virus is less deadly in the hot air, because it replicates slower. It's best to get this virus right now and build up some immunity so you don't catch it in the winter like I did. The cold air causes this virus to replicate like crazy in your lungs and respiratory tract, and if your body can't produce defensive cells fast enough to keep up with the fast replication, it's game over.

[dougcarter]

tell me this how do you test 10, 000 people and get the results back in one day

[handfull]

Term limits for the house and the panic attacks will stop

[MrTaylorfenoglio]

Please stop focasing on the number of positive cases. Florida had a problem with certain labs pushing out 100 percent positive rate with is impossible and the fda is investigating. Also more than 80 percent are asymptomatic. The numbers to watch are hospitalized not the overall number.

[stus]

It's amazing how they got 10000 cases from only testing 500 people.

[LunaMoon]

Positive cases doesn't equal death cases. Exposure and sickness doesn't mean death. More people survive than die. Post the numbers and not the fear factor.