Florida Hits Another Record High In COVID-19 Cases As The State Prepares For Phase 2
One day after Gov. Ron DeSantis announces that the state will enter Phase 2 of his recovery plan, Florida COVID-19 cases hit a high on June 4. The state recorded 1,419 new cases of the novel coronavirus. This week's increase passes a record increase from over two months ago.
The total of new cases on Thursday is the most the state had seen ever, passing the previous highest from April 17, when the Florida Department of Health logged 1,413 cases.
This brings the total of positive novel coronavirus cases to 60,183. The state also logged 41 new deaths from the virus, bringing the total number to 2,607. South Florida continues to be the epicenter for the state, with Miami-Dade County accounting for 323 of the new cases.
The next highest was Palm Beach County, which recorded 211 more cases, and Broward County, which added 123 cases to its total.
The news comes as most of the state is set to move into Phase 2 of the governor's reopening plan on Friday. Under this initiative, entertainment spots such as movie theaters, bars, and bowling alleys can reopen with 50% capacity.
Retail establishments and gyms will be able to operate at full capacity, and most of the state's beaches have already reopened.
South Florida was excluded from this move. They will be guided by a slower approach that will require county governments and Gov. DeSantis' approval to join the rest of the state in Phase 2.
The state has also seen several protests since the weekend.
The last big jump was back on May 21, with 1,204 cases. DeSantis attributed it to a "big dump of test results." The results came three weeks after Phase 1 was implemented.
With the jump in cases, it's unclear how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will affect Florida's push to enter the next planned phase on Friday.