The Sunshine State is currently experiencing a record spike in novel coronavirus cases. COVID-19 cases in Florida have seen a weekend of high numbers surpassing 2,000 confirmations. This jump comes after the state moved into phase 2 of recovery, causing Miami mayors to speak out. "As the cases continue to rise, we still have not incorporated the data from Memorial Day or all the protests," Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said in an interview. "So there are major concerns that the state data is continuing to increase, and Miami-Dade County is also showing a gradual increase." On Sunday, Florida recorded its second straight day of over 2,000 COVID-19 cases, recording 2,016 positive results, which was down from Saturday's report of 2,581. The stats shattered a single-day record that was hit on Friday, according to the Florida Department of Health's COVID-19 Dashboard. Mayors Dan Gelber, Carlos Gimenez, and Suarez have spoken out about the uptick, emphasizing that the pandemic is not over even though the state is reopening. In last week Florida has reported 13,000 new COVID-19 cases. Same week announced RNC convention is coming complete with cruise ship rooms since Jacksonville doesn’t have enough hotel rooms https://t.co/LLGcwkTDg7— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) June 15, 2020 Mayor Suarez commented on the surge in his city, saying that while the "government has tried to do the best that they can," people are frustrated and want to work. However, he mentioned that the recent actions by residents' behavior are a cause of concern, like not wearing masks in public. "We need to be disciplined. I always said when we started reopening that there are two paths, the path of responsibility and the path of irresponsibility," he said. "Unfortunately, we're starting to see behavior that concerns me deeply." It is more crucial now than ever for Miamians to behave responsibly throughout the reopening process of the City. Being open doesn't mean the threat of coronavirus has gone away and we must continue to act responsibly. https://t.co/NU3eKBIZd4— Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) June 14, 2020 Mayor Suarez hinted that, if the numbers continue to climb, he could push the pause button on the city's reopening. "The data is concerning. And we may have to make some decisions after this weekend as the data comes in." Know how to spot the symptoms of COVID-19 and take the following steps to make sure you stay safe. Remember, I take care of you, and you take care of me when it comes to stopping the spread of coronavirus. https://t.co/jpgk3SIV2C— Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez (@MayorGimenez) June 13, 2020 The growing numbers come one week after Gov. DeSantis announced the state would transition into the next step under phase 2 of its recovery plan.
