Florida hits milestone with record daily rise

With the United States grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, Florida hit a grim milestone yesterday, shattering the national record for a state’s largest single-day increase in positive cases.

Deaths from the virus have also been rising in the US, especially in the south and west, though still well below the heights hit in April, according to a recent analysis of data from Maryland’s Johns Hopkins University.

“I really do think we could control this, and it’s the human element that is so critical. It should be an effort of our country. We should be pulling together when we’re in a crisis and we’re definitely not doing it,” said University of Florida epidemiologist Dr Cindy Prins.

President Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time on Saturday, something Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday showed he has “crossed a bridge” and “will be helpful in stopping the spread”.

In Florida, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases, and 45 deaths were recorded, in the latest daily figures.