JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – According to data released Saturday from the Florida Department of Health, Florida has now reported 337,569 coronavirus cases and 5,002 COVID-19 related deaths of Florida residents and visitors since the pandemic began.
Saturday’s case total on the state website was an increase of 10,328 cases since Friday, the fourth straight day the state saw an increase of at least 10,000 cases.
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According to Saturday’s state data, an additional 90 coronavirus-related deaths were reported statewide, ending a streak of four consecutive days of more than 100 deaths. (The deaths did not all occur in the last 24 hours. The state’s death data often have significant delays in reporting and some of the deaths may have occurred weeks ago.)
Duval County has now reported 15,903 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began with 470 hospitalizations and 93 deaths related to COVID-19. Nassau and St. Johns counties reported one additional death each on Saturday.
In Nassau County, the death of a 68-year-old man, who had traveled to Georgia and within Florida, brought the county’s total to four deaths. St. Johns County’s total increased to 16 deaths with the addition of a 64-year-old man, whose case was first counted by the state July 1.
So far for the month of July, Florida has reported 185,135 cases in 18 days, averaging over 10,285 cases a day. Florida’s single-day record for new cases, reported last Sunday, remains at 15,300.
Of those who have been confirmed to have COVID-19 in the state, 20,632 patients have been hospitalized across the state since Florida began tracking data in March.
Florida is considered in the “red zone,” according to an unpublished document prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force that was obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom.
The 359-page document outlines and suggests measures that the states in the “red zone” should take, encouraging people to “wear a mask at all times.” It suggests states limit social gatherings to 10 people or fewer and maintain closures of bars and gyms.
While the state regulator in charge of businesses said Friday that bars will not be reopening yet in the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis has declined to close gyms again, saying people should have the chance to stay healthy.
As the spike in cases continues across the state, many school districts are grappling with the challenge of finding ways to safely reopen this fall.
A pediatrician at UF Health Jacksonville who is also a former director of the Duval County Health Department sent an open letter Friday expressing his concerns about the potential impact reopening schools too soon could have on children and their parents.
“Deaths will most likely occur due to school reopening,” Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen wrote. “We only have one chance to get this right.”
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That same day, DeSantis said during a news conference that decisions about school reopenings shouldn’t be made based on fear.
“We can figure out how to get this done,” DeSantis said. “I’m confident of that.”
A little over a week ago, Richard Corcoran, the state’s education commissioner, issued an order for all schools to reopen for in-person classes during the fall. The order also instructs school districts to follow the advice of state and local health officials as well as executive orders issued by DeSantis.
Also amid surging cases, the Republican National Convention slated for late August in Jacksonville has opted to scale back.
Rather than the 15,000 people originally scheduled to attend the event in Jacksonville next month, the communications director of the Republican National Convention announced Thursday that only about 2,500 people -- mostly the regular delegates -- will attend the first three days of the event, Aug. 24-26. On the final night, Thursday, Aug. 27, delegates and alternates can attend with one guest as Trump delivers his acceptance speech.
Convention planners also acknowledged that some convention events will take place outdoors.