On July 16, the state had a total of 23,170 children ages 17 and under who had tested positive since the start of the pandemic, according to the Florida Department of Health. By July 24, that number increased to 31,150.
That’s a 34% increase in new cases among children in eight days.
And more children in Florida require hospitalization. As of July 16, 246 children had been hospitalized with coronavirus. By July 24, that number had increased to 303.
That’s a 23% increase in Covid-19 children’s hospitalizations in eight days.
During that same period, the death toll among children in Florida increased from 4 to 5.
On July 18, Kimora “Kimmie” Lynum died of complications from Covid-19, according to records from the state health department. The 9-year-old girl’s family said Kimmie had no known pre-existing conditions.
The increases in Covid-19 children’s cases and hospitalizations come amid rampant debate over whether children should return to classrooms this fall or whether they should continue to learn remotely.
And the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, Dr. Deborah Birx, has repeatedly said that scientists are still studying how fast children under the age of 10 can transmit the virus, as many of them They have stayed at home and away from their peers during the peak months of this pandemic.
The children’s test positivity rate was particularly high in Martin County (25.3%) and Miami-Dade County (19.6%).
“I understand the need to open schools,” said Dr. Andrew Pastewski, father and medical director of the Jackson South Medical Center intensive care unit in Miami.
“Children need to develop, they need to grow, they need to learn, they need to develop social skills,” he said. “However, we are emerging right now. I don’t think opening up during a wave is the right time.”
CNN’s Maeve Reston contributed to this report.
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