Florida saw a record-breaking 3,207 new coronavirus cases, shattering the previous high mark of infections this week, state data released Thursday show.
It’s the first time during the pandemic that the state has had more than 3,000 people test positive in one day, and it continues a trend where there has been at least 2,000 cases logged in five out of the past six days.
The previous record was 2,783 cases on Tuesday.
This surge in cases comes nearly two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis declared, “Our work is succeeding. We have flattened the curve.” And it’s happening six weeks after most of the state began emerging from lockdowns.
Public health experts across the country have taken notice and issued warnings. The PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia wrote, “Florida has all the makings of the next large epicenter. … The risk there is the worst it has ever been in our projections.”
In South Florida, the hardest-hit area in the state:
Broward County: 299 new cases were reported Thursday, bringing the total to 10,111 to date. Five more people died, putting the known death toll at 387.
Palm Beach County: 382 new cases were reported, bringing the total to 9,854. Six more people died, making 463 total.
Miami-Dade County: Florida’s hot spot saw 581 new cases, bringing the total to 23,854. The county also had nine more deaths, raising the county’s total to 874. Miami-Dade has 13% of the state’s population but 27.7% of the coronavirus cases and 27.8% of the deaths.
Testing and concerns
The state on Thursday reported a total of 1,512,315 people tested for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. About 5.7% of the tests have been positive; 1,003 tests came back inconclusive. The rate is higher in South Florida, where 8.2% of people tested have been diagnosed with the disease, according to the data.
Overall, 85,926 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus illness in Florida. South Florida, home to 29% of Florida’s population, accounts for 51.4% of the cases, with 43,819 total.
DeSantis has tied the rise in cases to higher numbers of tests. But health experts say they’ve noticed an increase in the percentage of positive tests each day.
In the latest batch of statewide results, 12.5% of the people swabbed tested positive. That’s based on 25,556 tests recorded from the previous day.
Compare that to just a month ago on May 18, when 3.5% of the tests showed infections. That was based on the results of 24,629 tests that day — almost the same number as Thursday.
“After Memorial Day, the dynamic changed,” said Dr. David Rubin, who has been studying Florida’s COVID-19 trends in his role as director of the PolicyLab in Philadelphia. His researchers predict cases to keep soaring in Miami-Dade, Tampa, Orlando and other places, without any changes in social distancing practices.
“Time is of the essence now,” Rubin told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We’re watching Florida closely.”
Dr. Marissa J. Levine, director of the Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice at University of South Florida, raised concerns that the virus is spreading fast because fewer people are taking precautions.
“Because we don’t have a vaccine or treatments, we need to make sure we each do our part with … physical distancing, wearing a face covering when you can’t distance and all the hygienic and sanitizing practices we’ve talked about,” she said. “It’s never been more important than now.”
DeSantis this week said the rise in positive COVID-19 tests is entirely expected and indicative of more testing rather than a dangerous spike. He said there will not be a return to business closures because, “You have to have society function.”
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide-elected Democrat, this week slammed the Republican governor’s pandemic leadership over the record-high new cases.
“His policies are simply not working, and he’s recklessly reopening Florida despite the data screaming for caution,” Fried said in a statement.
Deaths
Statewide: At least 3,153 people have died from the new coronavirus in Florida, 43 more than on Wednesday, the state reported.
Residents: The death total includes 3,061 residents and 92 from outside the state.
Senior care: Fifty-one percent of Florida’s COVID-19 deaths have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Some 11,377 cases have occurred among residents and staff.
Hospitalizations
Statewide: A total of 12,577 people have been treated in Florida hospitals for COVID-19 since the beginning of pandemic-related record-keeping, an increase of 188 since Wednesday. The number of available hospital beds has been declining in recent weeks.
South Florida: Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have had 6,851 people hospitalized, 89 more than the previous 24 hours.
Global view
U.S.: The coronavirus death toll in the United States reached 117,832 on Thursday, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. has almost 2.2 million coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. At least 43,774 people have died in the national hot spots of New York and New Jersey.
Worldwide: Johns Hopkins also reported almost 8.4 million cases worldwide, with at least 449,695 people dead.
The United States has 4.3% of the world’s population and 25.9% of the world’s cases.
Marc Freeman can be reached at mjfreeman@sunsentinel.com and on Twitter @marcjfreeman.
