Florida Sets New Single-Day Record for Coronavirus Cases Since Reopening Economy, Over 4,000 in Three Days
BY MATTHEW IMPELLI ON 6/5/20 AT 1:50 PM EDT
On Friday, Florida's Department of Health reported a new single day record for coronavirus cases since the state began reopening.
According to the department, there were at least 1,495 new cases reported as of Friday, which brings Florida's total number to over 61,000. There were also at least 53 new deaths reported, increasing the state's total number to at least 2,660.
The number of cases reported on Friday marked a new single-day high number of cases since Florida implemented phase one of its reopening plan on May 18. The previous single-day high was on April 17, when the department reported at least 1,416 new cases.
In addition to hitting a single-day record, Florida has also seen a spike in the number of cases over the past three days. According to the state's department of health, there have been at least 4,231 new cases in the past three days, with 1,317 on Wednesday; 1,419 on Thursday; and now 1,495 on Friday.
Across Florida, a majority of the cases have stemmed from Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County and Broward County. According to the health department, there are currently at least 19,056 cases in Miami-Dade; 7,572 in Broward; and 6,859 in Palm Beach.
Despite the increase in cases over the past three days, Governor Ron DeSantis will continue to move the state through phase two of its reopening plan, which begins on Friday. In phase two, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys and concert venues will be permitted to reopen at 50 percent capacity, while retail stores and gyms will be allowed to operate at full capacity. Social distancing measures are still enforced for residents.
According to DeSantis' plan, personal service businesses--"including but not limited to tattoo parlors, acupuncture establishments, tanning salons and massage establishments"--are allowed to partially reopen.
"We have an opportunity to move forward in a safe, smart, step-by-step approach," DeSantis said during a recent press conference. He added that the state was ready to "inch into Phase 2."
While the state's second phase of reopening lifts many coronavirus restrictions, DeSantis added that Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties are exempt from the phase. According to his executive order, these counties can move into phase two with a written request from their county mayors or administrators.
The new coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, continues to spread across the U.S. According to a tracker provided by Johns Hopkins University, there are currently over 1.8 million cases in the U.S., as well as at least 108,496 deaths.
Newsweek reached out to the Florida Department of Health about the rise in cases, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
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