4:00 p.m. update
No record set, but new Florida COVID-19 cases stoke worry
The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is reporting nearly 3,500 more new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, a dip from the record-breaking numbers of recent days.
The rising number of new cases has prompted health officials to reissue advisories urging social distancing. Some businesses are also reevaluating their decisions to reopen.
The latest numbers were a drop from the record high of 4,000 new cases reported the day before.
To date, Florida has now head more than 97,000 Floridians infected with COVID-19. The number of deaths has now eclipsed 3,160, including the 17 additional deaths announced by health officials on Sunday.
12:30 p.m. update
OCCC Testing Site Hits Capacity For Antibody Tests
Matthew Peddie, WMFE
The Orange County Convention Center has reached capacity for coronavirus antibody tests. A spokesperson for the site said testing for the active virus was still available until 5 p.m.
People who want to get a test at the site are advised to have a full tank of gas and make sure the AC in their car is working.
The wait time to get tested as of 11:30 a.m. was three hours.
Testing is available at the OCCC drive up site free of charge to all Orange County residents.
Florida is nearing 100,000 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. 3,161 people have died from COVID-19 in Florida. Orange county has recorded 4,914 cases and 48 deaths.
Florida posts another daily record of COVID-19 infections
The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak continued its fevered escalation in Florida, as the state reported Saturday more than 4,000 new cases — the highest daily total yet in a state that has seen numerous record-breaking spikes since reopening restaurants, bars, gyms and other public places.
The Florida Health Department also reported 40 more people have died from COVID-19, bringing the state’s tally to more than 3,140.
Since the outbreak began earlier this year, nearly 94,000 Floridians have tested positive for the virus.
The state said new test results were reported for 34,400 people Friday and showed an infection rate of more than 12% — a clear indication of the the widened public spread of the disease.
Rise in Coronavirus Among Young Adults Fuels FL Spike
Kerry Sheridan, WUSF The latest surge in coronavirus cases in Florida is largely among young adults, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. “Not huge clinical consequences but in terms of spread and in terms of the some of the vulnerable populations eventually seeping in there, certainly a cause for concern. But our cases are shifting in a radical direction younger.” The median ages for most new cases in Florida is in the 20s and 30s.
Trump suggests US slow virus testing to avoid bad statistics
The Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — President Donald Trump is suggesting the U.S. should slow down its coronavirus testing effort because robust testing turns up more cases of infection.
At a campaign rally in Oklahoma on Saturday, Trump told supporters the U.S. has tested 25 million people. The “bad part,” Trump says, is that leads to logging more cases of people who test positive for COVID-19.
According to an Associated Press analysis, the number of newly confirmed cases per day has risen from about 21,400 two weeks ago to 23,200.
Rising case numbers can partially be explained by the wider availability of testing. His likely Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden said Trump was putting politics ahead of the safety and health of Americans.