Officials say masks help stop COVID-19

Orange County on Monday reported a record number of new coronavirus cases over the weekend, a sign the contagion is still spreading rapidly in the community, though at least one major outbreak — a series of infected workers at Orlando International Airport — now appears to be under control.

Orange reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases since Friday with the rate of positive test results hitting nearly 18% on Friday, 16% on Saturday and 11% on Sunday, the most recent day available.

That’s after the rate of positive tests had remained under 3% for weeks in late May and early June, a sign that transmission of the virus is picking up again.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Dr. Raul Pino, the state health department’s officer in Orange, urged residents to take simple precautions such as wearing masks when out in public and frequently washing their hands as the best ways to put a stop to the spread.

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