After hundreds of spectators, beachgoers and families gathered for the Fourth of July, the Florida Department of Health released new data for cases of COVID-19 in the State.
Experts feared celebrations for the July 4th weekend would act like rocket fuel for the nation’s surging coronavirus outbreak.
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On Sunday, the FDOH reported 10,059 new positive cases of COVID-19. The new cases bring Florida’s overall total to 200,111 since early March.
The new numbers come out after Saturday’s explosion of positive cases. The state reported 11,458 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the largest single-day increase Floridians have seen since the pandemic began.
Experts say the true figure is undoubtedly higher. This is both because of incomplete testing and because it is becoming clearer to scientists that a significant number of people become infected with the virus but do not feel sick or show symptoms.
The Florida Department of Health data shows 15,895 have received hospital care due to the virus. The state also reported a total of 3,731 deaths since March.
An important factor to watch is the state’s rate of new daily positive cases compared to the number of people tested per day. With the new cases reported Saturday morning, Florida’s daily positivity rate was 14.10%.
Below is the state dashboard. If you are having trouble viewing the dashboard on mobile, click here.
If you are having trouble viewing the dashboard on mobile, click here.
Here’s a breakdown of coronavirus numbers by county in the Central Florida region:
| County | Total cases | New cases | Deaths | Hospitalizations | New hospitalizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | 2,521 | 85 | 19 | 131 | 4 |
| Flagler | 383 | 23 | 5 | 34 | 0 |
| Lake | 1,845 | 170 | 23 | 132 | 0 |
| Marion | 927 | 64 | 12 | 88 | 3 |
| Orange | 14,032 | 1,011 | 59 | 490 | 8 |
| Osceola | 2,966 | 253 | 27 | 205 | 2 |
| Polk | 5,196 | 310 | 105 | 495 | 2 |
| Seminole | 3,339 | 147 | 20 | 186 | 3 |
| Sumter | 420 | 15 | 17 | 57 | 0 |
| Volusia | 2,685 | 98 | 58 | 243 | 3 |
As coronavirus infections surge across Florida and hospital authorities nervously count their available intensive care beds, the state’s most populous county is closing down again, imposing a curfew and closing beaches over the Fourth of July weekend to contain the spread.
Some Florida counties have implemented curfews as COVID-19 cases climb.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew begins Friday night and will be in place indefinitely. A new county order also closes casinos, strip clubs, movie theaters, the zoo and other entertainment venues a month after they were allowed to reopen.
“This curfew is meant to stop people from venturing out and hanging out with friends in groups, which has shown to be spreading the virus rapidly,” Gimenez said in a statement.
The mayor’s order also tightens mask rules at restaurants, requiring customers to wear facial coverings at all times unless eating or drinking. Under the previous order, customers were allowed to remove masks when they sat down.
READ MORE: DeSantis urged to require masks as COVID-19 burdens some Florida hospitals
The City of Groveland didn’t host a big Fourth of July celebration because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it did put on two dueling fireworks displays for residents to watch safely from their own homes.
Last month, Mayor Evelyn Wilson made the announcement in a letter and acknowledged the celebration would look different this year due to social distancing guidelines.
“In previous years, our tradition has been to gather for the best things the Fourth of July in Groveland has to offer: food, fun and fireworks,” Wilson wrote. “However, the current circumstances this year have prompted us to become innovative with how we celebrate.”
City officials said they couldn’t celebrate the holiday like they normally do because the did not want a huge group of people coming together to watch the fireworks.
READ MORE: Groveland hosts simultaneous fireworks displays
Election supervisors across Central Florida are feeling the impacts of COVID-19 as they prepare for the 2020 election season.
News 6 contacted all nine of the election offices in the region to learn how their departments were impacted by the pandemic. Many officials said they are receiving money from the CARES Act grant to help offset additional costs incurred that were not originally budgeted.
Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays said the Division of Elections determined how much money each county received based on a statewide formula.
“Every county starts at $50,000 and then you get so many dollars per registered voter and they’re using the census of your registered voters on the book closing for the Presidential Preference Primary back during March,” Hays said.
To find out how much the Central Florida supervisor of elections offices are receiving and how they’ll spend the federal dollars click or tap here.