Florida Department of Health reports 7,686 new COVID-19 cases, 180 deaths

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health on Friday reported 7,686 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Florida to 518,075.

The number is a running total since the virus was first detected in Florida in March.

While the reporting of coronavirus deaths are delayed by days and sometimes weeks, state and public health leaders say an additional 180 people have recently died from the virus. Their deaths raise the overall count to 8,051 that number includes 124 non-residents who died in Florida.

Health experts said Florida has reached its peak for coronavirus cases, but the death rate is still rising.

[MORE: More than 19,000 Floridians projected to die from COVID-19 by December, experts say]

New projections released Thursday by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation project thousands of Floridians will die from COVID-19 in the next four months.

According to the IHME projections, 19,358 Floridians will die from COVID-19 by Dec. 1. Experts say the state could be forced to shut down again in late August to stop the spread.

On Friday, the positivity rate for the number of people who tested positive for the first time, compared to the overall tests, rose to 10.12%%. Health officials agree the rate should be below 10% to show infections are decreasing.

[RELATED: Coronavirus: Which are the deadliest Florida counties for COVID-19?]

Across the state, 7,182 people are currently hospitalized with severe cases of the virus, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration’s report.

The FDOH’s coronavirus dashboard reveals 29,730 people have been hospitalized due to complications with COVID-19 since March, an increase of 599 patients since the last time the state released the total 24 hours ago.

Here are three things to know for today, Aug. 7. To read more, click or tap on the blue headline.

• Second stimulus check: Washington talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money are teetering on the brink of collapse. A breakdown in the talks would put at risk more than $100 billion to help reopen schools, a fresh round of $1,200 direct payments to most people and hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments to help them avoid furloughing workers and cutting services as tax revenues shrivel. Both sides said the future of the talks is uncertain.
• Tracking COVID-19 in schools: The Florida Department of Health in Orange County said it will be tracking new cases of the coronavirus in school-aged children as the school year begins on Monday. Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino said his team was in the process of creating a baseline for pediatric coronavirus case and adding new details to the tracking model, so they can recognize when there is an outbreak and where it might be.
  • Parents of Central Florida students can find everything they need to know about their district’s back-to-school plan at ClickOrlando.com/backtoschool.
• Orlando mayor supports opening bars: The current state order does not allow bars to be open. “Their businesses are probably in some of the most difficult circumstances, they’re under a state order,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said on Thursday. Dyer said plans would need to be put in place before bars can reopen. “I would support the reopening of bars when we can do it safely and they can operate,” he said.

[MORE: Is it safe to reopen schools during the coronavirus pandemic?]

Here’s a breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Central Florida:

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