ORLANDO, Fla. – The day before Florida starts the process of reopening the state under Gov. DeSantis’ phase one plane, the Florida Department of Health announced 615 new cases of coronavirus in the state.
The new cases bring the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state to 36,078.
1,379 people have died as a result of the virus in Florida.
In all, there have been 6,035 hospitalizations in Florida, health officials said.
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Phase one will begin on Monday with some businesses opening for the first time since their doors were shut in April. DeSantis said he couldn’t provide a timeline for entering phase two but said he’s “thinking about weeks, not thinking about months” for each of the three phases.
[Zoom out to see the reported cases across the state. If you are having trouble viewing on mobile, click here.]
Here’s how those cases break down locally by county in Central Florida:
| County | Cases | Hospitalizations | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | 308 | 48 | 8 |
| Flagler | 140 | 13 | 3 |
| Lake | 234 | 58 | 13 |
| Marion | 184 | 28 | 5 |
| Orange | 1,434 | 248 | 35 |
| Osceola | 509 | 130 | 8 |
| Polk | 523 | 160 | 26 |
| Seminole | 394 | 84 | 8 |
| Sumter | 226 | 41 | 14 |
| Volusia | 513 | 85 | 26 |
Coronavirus Cases in Assisted Living Facilities
Health officials in Florida have released new information Sunday about new coronavirus related deaths at senior citizen care facilities after resuing to share how the virus was spreading inside.
The data will help shed light on unanswered questions for families who are anxious about the safety of their loved ones, who live in nursing and assisted-living homes.
Since the pandemic began, visitors have not been allowed inside the facilities in order to slow the spread of the virus to those most at risk. This means that families have been away from their loved ones for over a month.
The new information comes after multiple media outlets filed suit under the state’s public records law to force the data’s release.
The newly released data shows that one out of every three coronavirus deaths in Florida has occurred inside 152 of the state’s long-term care facilities.
For a list of Central Florida nursing homes with positive cases and deaths click the link below.
[MORE: Florida releases number of COVID-19 deaths at senior care centers]
Gov. DeSantis in Orange County
Go. Ron Desantis held a round table discussion with hairstylists and barbers at an Orange County salon Saturday.
DeSantis assured everyone that he would work quickly to get hair salons and barbershops opened in Florida.
“A lot of our clients are essential workers and they’re going out and not looking their best and they’re calling us,” OhSoooJazzy owner Nadine Tarpley said. “People consider hair salons and barbershops to be essential for their everyday lives.”
During the round table discussion with salon employees, DeSantis listened to workers affected by the closures and heard their opinion and thoughts on their businesses remaining closed throughout the first phase of Florida’s reopening process.
The governor said he will be taking the feedback he received and will be discussing it with his team over the next few days.
[MORE: Gov. DeSantis works toward reopening Florida hair salon after roundtable discussion ]
Florida Parks Re-Open
On Monday, people will get their first taste of normal as Florida parks begin allowing people inside their gates for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic as a part of phase one to reopen Florida.
“Today, I am announcing that as part of phase one, as of Monday, Florida’s world-renowned state parks system will be opening,” DeSantis said. “Opening the parks back up is consistent with my safe, smart, step-by-step plan to reopen Florida.”
The governor said he based his decision to open state parks on a study conducted by the Department of Homeland Security.
“The Department of Homeland Security’s biodefense lab recently conducted a study about the effect of sunlight, heat and humidity on the virus, in terms of surface transmission and in terms of respiratory droplets and aerosols,” DeSanits said.
DeSantis initially announced phase one of his plan to reopen Florida on Wednesday, and gave the following guidelines for what will and will not change under the first phase beginning on May 4:
- Schools continue distance learning
- Visits to senior living facilities are prohibited
- Elective surgeries can resume
- Sports arenas and movie theaters will remain closed
- Restaurants may offer outdoor seating with six feet of space between tables and indoor seating at 25% capacity
- Retail stores can operate at 25% of indoor capacity
- No changes for bars, gyms and personal services such as hair dressers and barbers
- Vulnerable individuals should avoid close contact with people outside the home
[MORE: Florida state parks to open Monday as part of phase 1 plan ]
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