2,521 new COVID-19 cases reported in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Sunday the Florida Department of Health announced 2,521 new cases of the coronavirus in the state.

The new cases of the respiratory illness bring the state total to 683,754 since the pandemic was first detected in March.

The FDOH reported 10 new deaths Sunday, bringing the state’s death toll from the pandemic to 13,459. Florida’s death total is comprised of 13,296 residents and 163 non-residents who died in the state from the virus.

Data from COVID-19 related deaths is often delayed and new deaths can take up to two weeks to report, according to health officials.

[TRENDING: Universal parks hit capacity Saturday | Letter containing ricin addressed to White House seized by authorities | FSU head coach Mike Norvell tests positive for coronavirus]

According to the Agency for Health Care Administration, as of Sunday morning, there were a total of 2,285 patients hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 compared to the same time 24 hours ago.

The DOH reported 79 new hospitalized patients Sunday, bringing the state total to 42,453 for people who have been in the hospital at some point during the last six months due to the virus.

Florida’s positivity rate -- the number of new cases compared to overall tests --- was 4.64% on Saturday.

[SEE SATURDAY’S REPORT: Florida health officials report over 3,573 new cases of COVID-19, 140 new hospitalizations]

Here are three things to know for Sept. 20. Click on the blue headline to read more about the story:

• FSU head coach tests positive: Florida State University’s head football coach, Mike Norvell announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday. According to the Seminoles athletic department, Norvell is not reporting any symptoms and is in quarantine. The coach said the positive result was not expected, however, the school was prepared for the situation. To see what Norvell had to say about FSU’s upcoming game against Miami, click or tap here.
• Universal parks hit capacity: According to Universal Orlando’s social media accounts, all three parks hit capacity Saturday, as the theme park giant unveiled its Halloween season experience testing for the weekend. This comes just days after Universal Orlando resort revealed its plans to extend furloughs for more than 5,000 workers. Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, which owns Universal, said in a conference call recently that the Orlando parks are currently operating at about 25% of their usual attendance.
• Switch your child’s learning preference: Parents of students in two of Central Florida’s largest school districts have until Friday to decide whether they want to switch their child’s learning preference for the second nine weeks of the academic calendar. Both Orange and Osceola public schools are giving parents the opportunity to switch from face-to-face to digital to LaunchEd for the second nine weeks of the semester, which, for their districts, begin in the second month of August. To find out how to switch learning preference, click or tap here.

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