St. Johns County sees the largest one-day jump in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The State Florida Department of Health reported 11,541 additional cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, including 824 cases in Duval County. Those are the second most cases reported in one day in Jacksonville since the start of the pandemic.

Also on Wednesday, seven deaths were reported in Duval County, part of 125 deaths reported statewide. The death toll in Florida is now 20,490.

St. Johns County saw the largest one-day increase in the number of cases since the pandemic began on Wednesday with an additional 155 cases. There was also a report of death in the county which has now had 107 deaths related to the coronavirus.

According to the health department, 1,155,335 people in Florida have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

As the number of cases has soared in Florida this fall, more COVID-19 patients are also requiring hospitalization. The Agency for Health Care Administration reported Wednesday afternoon that 5,156 patients had been hospitalized for “primary” diagnoses of COVID-19, compared with 2,637 on Sept. 14. About 50 statewide patients were admitted to hospitals in the past 24 hours.

Nursing homes in Florida began vaccinating patients and staff against COVID-19 on Wednesday with doses of the first US-approved vaccine. It is part of an effort to protect those who are most vulnerable to the virus.

Amid the increasing numbers, DeSantis held a press conference in West Palm Beach on Wednesday and said restaurants should remain open despite the increase in the number of cases. He was optimistic that the vaccine, which arrived in Florida on Monday, will help reduce cases and deaths, especially in long-term care settings.

The statewide positivity rate based on Tuesday’s tests was 9.28%, the health department said Wednesday. It is the first time since mid-August that the state has reported more than 9% statewide back-to-back days. The positivity rate, a key factor in determining the spread of the virus in the community, has not dropped below 6.22% in weeks.

A report by the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended that Florida take more stringent measures to slow the spread of the virus, including always wearing a mask in public, increasing physical distance by reducing capacity, or indoor areas at restaurants and to close bars and limit meetings. outside immediate households. The December 6 report, obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, also urged leaders to begin warning of the risks of congregating during the December holidays.

DeSantis has ruled out further business restrictions or a masking mandate to stop the spread of the virus.

Of all states, Florida had the 41st most new cases per 100,000 residents and the 33rd highest number of positive cases, according to the Dec. 6 report.

“Ranking is almost irrelevant as the country is rising,” the report said.

Two newspapers last week sued the DeSantis government for failing to disclose weekly reports of coronavirus conditions in the Sunshine State prepared by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.