Florida health officials recorded another record day as coronavirus cases rose to their highest number yet in Miami-Dade and Broward counties on Saturday.
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Despite the beaches closing before the July 4 weekend to keep large crowds from gathering, there were 2,418 new cases of coronavirus in Miami-Dade County on Saturday.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber chastised residents for “not listening” and refusing to adhere to social distancing protocols and masking the mandates that have been in place for weeks.
“For some people, they are listening to mixed messages from Washington and are deciding that they don’t need to wear a mask,” Gelber told Neil Cavuto of Fox News in an interview on “Cavuto Live” on Saturday.
Marvin Turcios hangs American flags at Ocean’s 10 restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida’s famous Ocean Drive in South Beach, on July 4, 2020. The holiday weekend of July 4 started on Saturday with some troubling numbers in the state Sun: Florida recorded a record number of people testing positive for the coronavirus.
(AP)
In Broward County, 1,346 new cases were reported, the Florida Department of Health said, bringing the county total to 19,575.
State totals increased more than 11,000 cases, bringing Florida’s number of cases to 190,052. Hospitalizations increased by 585 people, and health authorities said 14 percent of Floridians have been infected with COVID-19. The current national rate for positive tests is 7.5 percent, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In addition, 18 more people died in Florida, as the death toll reached 3,702 people.
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“We have a very serious health problem,” said Gelber. “We have more than 1,400 people in our hospitals right now. Our intensive care is increasing. Our people at the vents is increasing. We cannot ignore that.”
The rapid increase in new cases broke new records for the Sunshine State on Thursday, as officials noted a higher number of confirmed cases six times higher than last month’s daily record.
Gelber received a backlash from residents when he tightened restrictions on his city, stopping reopens in stages and implementing a curfew in a bid to curb the increase in new cases. Additionally, restaurant visitors were ordered to wear a mask during all their meals, only removing it for eating and drinking.
A group of people, wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, walk along a beach path in Miami Beach, Florida, South Beach, on July 4, 2020.
(AP)
Gelber said the measures were necessary and countered the claims that the limitations were a violation of basic rights.
“There is nothing more American than sacrificing yourself for your loved one, for a neighbor or a stranger. And it is time for people to just follow these guidelines. Wear a mask. It is not a political statement,” he said.
As Florida struggled during the July 4 weekend, so did other states in the country.
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Alabama this week also set a record for reported infections in one day, with more than 1,700 new confirmed cases recorded on Thursday, and state health officials fear the holiday weekend may lead to the type of spike that followed the weekend. of Memorial Day.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
