FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — While Florida politicians and judges battle over whether children should wear masks in the state's schools, the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen dramatically.
While pediatric hospitalizations and deaths remain a small fraction of Florida’s overall numbers, they are exponentially higher than they were during previous waves of the disease.
Federal officials say about 60 children are being admitted per day to Florida hospitals for COVID-19.
That's up from about five per day in late June and throughout much of the pandemic. About 230 children are hospitalized statewide, compared to about 20 in June.
