Florida’s Virus Cases Jump by Record for Single Day
Florida’s Virus Cases Jump by Record for Single Day
(Bloomberg) --
Florida’s Covid-19 cases jumped by the most during the pandemic, two days after the previous high, a sign that the outbreak is expanding and leading to more serious clinical consequences.
Reported new cases rose by 11,458, or 6.4%, to 190,052, compared with an average 5.5% in the previous seven days. The Sunshine State had a record 10,109 cases on Thursday. Deaths reached 3,702, according to the release, which includes data through Friday, an increase of 18, the fewest since June 22.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has ruled out reimposing a lockdown, but hospitals and local officials officials are taking note of the rising trend in cases.
Miami-Dade County is under an overnight curfew and entertainment venues are closed in the state’s most populous county amid a surge in Covid-19 patients in intensive-care units and hospitals. Jackson Health System, which operates one of Florida’s biggest hospitals, said it will limit inpatient surgeries and procedures to emergency and urgent cases starting Monday.
Cumulative hospitalizations rose by 244, or 1.6%, to 15,735, slowing from the day before. The median age of patients dropped to 35 from 37 the previous day.
The rate of people testing positive for the first time fell to 14.1% on Friday, from 14.9% a day earlier.
In Miami-Dade, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals rose 3.4%, and more beds were available for the most severe cases.
The county had 1,466 patients with the virus in hospitals, an increase of 48 from a day earlier. The total has climbed every day since June 20, when the county began reporting the statistics.
The number of patients in intensive-care unit beds rose to 319 from 306, the 11th straight day of increase. Covid-19 patients on ventilators climbed to 158 from 138 a day earlier, the sixth straight jump, according to the county’s daily report on Saturday, based on self-reporting by hospitals.
The number of available ICU beds rose to 433 from 418 a day earlier. The county also has 1,324 beds that can be converted into ICU beds, up from 1,313 a day earlier.
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