Florida reports 10,347 new COVID-19 cases
Protesters interrupted a news conference Monday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, after the state posted another 10,347 cases of COVID-19, maintaining Florida’s status as one of the worst-hit parts of the U.S.
DeSantis, whose leadership in the epidemic has been criticized as cases soared, had begun a news conference in Orlando when several protesters started yelling “Shame on you, Ron DeSantis!” and “You’re lying to the public!”
Orange County sheriff ’s deputies removed the protesters, but they continued shouting outside and pounding on windows during the rest of the news conference.
“We will not be defunding the police,” DeSantis said, after the deputies took the protesters out. “Don’t worry about that. We will support our men and women in law enforcement.”
Returning to the subject of the news conference, DeSantis urged people who have recovered from the disease to donate plasma to help others.
“There is an increased demand from hospitals for convalescent plasma, and we want to be able to meet that need,” he said. “And so one of the best things you can do if you’re somebody who has recovered from COVID-19 is to donate blood. Your plasma will be able to be used to help other patients, and the success has been promising.”
It was the second time recently that a DeSantis news conference was interrupted by protester. During an event last week in Miami, a heckler shouted over DeSantis as he started speaking, yelling, “Shame on you, you are an embarrassment. We’re getting record-breaking cases every day, and you are doing nothing,” Newsweek reported.
There were 92 more deaths in Monday’s update, not a record but continuing the elevated numbers of the past two weeks that show fatalities catching up with the record-setting daily case totals. The deaths included 90 Florida residents and two non-residents, according to the Florida
Department of Health, which posts daily updates.
The new cases reported Monday bring the total to 360,394.
The governor held the news conference at the Orlando headquarters of OneBlood, a company that provides blood to the healthcare industry. The governor made a plea for blood donations from people who had recovered from the disease.
OneBlood uses the donations to produce what’s called convalescent plasma, which is used to treat COVID-19 patients because it contains antibodies developed by people who have recovered.
The rate of people testing positive rose to 14.7%, the highest number in a week. The daily positivity rate is a closely watched figure, since it’s one of the numbers that indicates the prevalence of the disease in the population.
The total currently hospitalized continued to rise, going from 9,351 on Sunday to 9,475 on Monday. Miami-Dade County continued to account for the largest number of hospitalizations, followed by Broward, then Palm Beach.
The record daily death total was set last Thursday, with 156. But Monday’s death count continues an upward trend that began in late June. The total number of deaths in Florida stands at 5,183.
South Florida
South Florida, which accounts for 29% of Florida’s population, reported 5,133 new cases in the past day, or nearly half the daily total for the state, according to the state Department of Health.
Broward County: 1,695 new coronavirus cases were reported Sunday, bringing the total to 40,976. A total of 537 people have died, 20 more since Sunday.
Palm Beach County: 641 new cases were reported, bringing the total to 26,426. A total of 699 people have died, six more since Sunday.
Miami-Dade County: 2,797 new cases, bringing the total to 87,035. A total of 1,325 people have died. That’s seven more than Sunday.
Testing and the positivity rate
Florida says it has tested more than 3 million people since the pandemic began, and 11.79% have been positive. In May, Florida’s positivity rate was around 5%.
Florida on Monday reported an 14.7% positivity rate for tests statewide in the previous 24-hour period, the highest rate in a week.
The rate was 17.6% for Broward County, 22.6% for Mi
ami-Dade and 13.3% for Palm Beach.
Hospitalizations
The number of people being treated for COVID-19
at hospitals increased by 124 since Sunday, continuing an upward trend that has put pressure on staff, supplies and available beds.
The total stood at 9,475 as of noon Monday, according to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. About 24 hours earlier, the same report listed
9,351 patients.
Miami-Dade County has the most people hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of the new coronavirus: 2,052, an increase of 44 since Sunday. Next is Broward with 1,261, up by 21 since Sunday. Palm Beach County has 624, an increase of 18.
The state also reported that 21,263 Florida residents have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic.