Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
State records 2nd-highest number of daily cases
Florida posted its second-highest number of new coronavirus cases Thursday, as South Florida governments imposed additional steps to contain the disease.
New Florida cases totaled 5,004, down from Wednesday’s record-breaking number of 5,511 but continuing the surge in cases that has prevailed for the past two weeks. The new cases bring the state’s total to 114,018. The Florida Department of Health, which posts updates every morning, reported 46 new deaths.
Although testing is up since midMay, for the past three weeks the number of tests administered has remained flat. Meanwhile, the positivity rate has gone up, indicating the rise in cases can’t be attributed simply to an increase in testing. Also there has been a sharp increase in emergency room visits for flu-like symptoms or Covid-like symptoms, such as fever and difficulty breathing, suggesting further spread of the disease.
But the death rate has remained flat since mid-May, despite the increase in new cases. Experts say this appears to reflect the sharp decline in the average age of infected people, with younger ones less likely to become seriously ill from the disease.
Here are the latest totals for South Florida, the state’s hardesthit area:
■ Broward County: 367 new cases, bringing the total to 12,584. There was one additional death, bringing the county’s total fatalities
to 379.
■ Miami-Dade County: 885 new cases, bringing the total to 28,664. There were nine more deaths, bringing the county total to 935.
■ Palm Beach County: 304 new cases, bringing the total to 11,840. There were four more deaths, bringing the county total to 486.
Despite the surging number of new cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to not backtrack on the state’s reopening, which has gradually allowed people to return to restaurants, stores, gyms and other businesses.
But worried local officials have begun imposing more restrictions. The Palm Beach County Commission voted Tuesday to require masks in stores, restaurants and other places open to the public, an order that took effect Thursday.
Broward County announced plans to issue fines of up to $15,000 to businesses that flouted rules requiring masks and banning dense concentrations of custom
ers, after what County Mayor Dale Holness called an “alarming rise” in the number of cases.
Florida is one of several states posting soaring coronavirus totals in the past few days. Others include Arizona, California, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
Concerned about the increases, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have imposed rules requiring residents of Florida and eight other states to quarantine for two weeks when they arrive.
Testing results and trends
About 1.7 million people in Florida have been tested, of which 6.6% tested positive for the disease, according to the Florida Department of Health.
In South Florida, the day-to-day positivity rates fluctuate greatly, although the general trend has been upward. In Broward County, the rate Wednesday was 6.5%, down from 11% the previous day, but up from earlier in the week. In Miami-Dade County, the rate was 10.1%, down from 19.5% the previous day, but also up from earlier in the week. Palm Beach County had a rate of 8.8%, down from 18.2% the previous day.
Hospitalizations
Statewide: A total of 13,775 people have been treated in Florida hospitals for
COVID-19 since the beginning, an increase of 836 since Wednesday.
South Florida: Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have had 7,509 people hospitalized, 335 more than the previous day.
Global view
U.S.: The coronavirus death toll in the United States reached 122,481 Thursday afternoon, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. has 2.4 million cases, the most of any country in the world.
Worldwide: Johns Hopkins also reported 9.5 million cases worldwide, with at least 484,876 people dead.