Florida has registered 15,299 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours, according to figures released Sunday, a record for an American state, so far owned by California. The total published on Sunday by the Florida Department of Health represents almost an increase of half (47%) compared to the number of new cases noted during the previous day.
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The extreme southeastern state of the United States has also seen 45 new deaths linked to the coronavirus. In five days, Florida registered 55,842 positive cases. So far, the record for 24-hour new cases in one state was owned by California, with 11,694 reported Wednesday, followed by New York State, with 11,571 people found positive on April 14.
Containment release deemed early
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis had decided to begin phasing out containment as early as May 4, before most states in the country. The director of the American Institute of Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, said on Thursday that Florida had come out of containment before all public health indicators warranted it.
Ron DeSantis disputed this diagnosis, saying that his decision was based on contamination figures from the time. At the end of June, the governor went back and ordered the bars to be closed in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, but the contamination figures nevertheless continued to escalate. Ron DeSantis has so far refused to make it mandatory to wear a mask in Florida, saying the decision rests with local communities.
