ORLANDO, Fla. – The Biden administration will soon begin collecting data from thousands of U.S. schools to find out how they have been affected by the pandemic, including how many have returned to in-person instruction, officials said Friday.

Led by the Education Department, the effort will collect monthly data from 7,000 schools on a range of topics related to COVID-19. It’s the first federal effort to gather data on the pandemic’s impact on education.

[Here’s how to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida]

Researchers and school officials have been calling on the federal government to gather information on the pandemic’s effect, saying it would provide evidence to guide schools as they navigate outbreaks. Many states collect their own data, and some researchers have attempted national databases, but there has been no federal collection effort.

The Education Department says it will be a nationally representative survey, using the existing data collection system used for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card.

To read more on how the Biden Administration is tackling COVID-19 cases in schools, click or tap here.

[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: Two Central Florida counties surpass 1,000 COVID-19 deaths]

Below is a breakdown of Florida COVID-19 data reported by the state on Feb. 6.

Cases

The Florida Department of Health reported 7,486 new cases on Saturday, bringing the state’s overall total to 1,771,359 cases since the coronavirus pandemic began in March.

Deaths

Florida reported 145 new virus-related deaths Saturday, raising the death toll to 28,058. This number includes the 459 non-residents who died in Florida.

Hospitalizations

As of Saturday afternoon, there were currently 5,379 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

Since March, 74,267 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications from COVID-19. That number includes the 297 new patients who have been recently hospitalized due to the virus, according to the health department’s daily report released on Saturday.

Positivity rate

The percent of positive results was 6.25% on Friday. Health officials say the rate should remain between 5% and 10% to prove a community has a hold of the virus and is curbing infections.

Vaccinations

The Florida Department of Health recently began releasing a daily report on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.

As of Saturday afternoon, 1,951,940 people have been vaccinated in Florida. The FDOH also reports that 627,235 people have received their second shot.

See COVID-19 data for the Central Florida region below:

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