FL COVID News: Record Cases Reported, School District Mask Policy

FLORIDA — The state of Florida once again reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases Friday.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker, 23,903 new cases were reported Friday – the largest number of cases reported in a single day since the start of the pandemic.

Florida previously broke this record a week ago on July 31 with 21,683 new coronavirus cases and then again Thursday with 22,783 new cases.

In addition to the record number of new cases Friday, 199 COVID-19 deaths were also reported, according to CDC data.

The Florida Hospital Association also confirmed 13,348 coronavirus hospitalizations throughout the state Saturday, the highest number of hospitalizations related to the pandemic since it started.

The Florida Department of Health also released its COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report for the week of July 30 to Aug. 5 Friday.

According to this report, there were 134,506 coronavirus cases and 616 deaths reported statewide during this period. The new case positivity rate for Florida this week was 18.9 percent with some counties seeing positivity rates higher than 30 percent, including Bay (30.8 percent), Bradford (33.2 percent), Franklin (31.2 percent), Hardee (30.1 percent) and Okaloosa (30.4 percent) counties.

As COVID-19 cases surge in Florida, here are some Patch headlines you might have missed this week:

DeSantis Blames Biden, Immigrants For Florida's COVID Surge

With COVID-19 spreading throughout Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis placed the blame for the rise in new cases on President Joe Biden and illegal immigrants entering the country.

'You Cannot Mask Your Way Out Of This': Sen. Marco Rubio

In a video shared on Twitter Thursday, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio calls on unvaccinated Floridians to get the COVID-19 vaccine, rather than instituting a statewide or local mask mandate, as coronavirus cases surge throughout the state. "You cannot mask your way out of this," he said. "The only answer is to get as many people vaccinated as possible."

Stephen King Criticizes DeSantis For Red Tide, COVID-19 Surge

Outspoken horror writer Stephen King criticized Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis for his handling of the state's COVID-19 surge and the red tide affecting the Tampa Bay area on Twitter Monday.

Hillsborough Schools Mandates Masks But Students Can Opt Out

Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis announced Saturday that face masks will be mandatory in Hillsborough County Schools, but parents may choose to have their students opt-out of wearing a mask.

Hospitals Say 88 To 95 Percent Of COVID-19 Patients Unvaccinated

As some hospital beds in Florida see an influx of coronavirus patients, prompting them to postpone elective surgeries and limit visitors, hospital executives told Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that the majority of COVID-19-positive patients who are hospitalized are people in their 50s who are not vaccinated.

Declaring A Public Health Crisis, CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium

Thousands of Florida homeowners and renters are breathing a sigh of relief after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed an order Tuesday to extend the eviction moratorium through Oct. 3.

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• COVID-19 Cases Increase Tenfold In Manatee County Within 1 Month