Florida reports more than 12,600 new COVID-19 cases as Disney prepares to reopen more theme parks

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida reports thousands of new coronavirus infections Monday as Walt Disney World prepares to reopen two more theme parks later this week.

The Florida Department of Health reported 12,624 new positive coronavirus cases Monday, bringing the state’s grand total to 282,435 cases since the virus was first detected in March. This is the second highest number of new cases ever recorded.

Florida broke the national record for the highest total of new cases reported in a 24-hour period on Sunday with 15,299 new COVID-19 infections. The state also broke its record for most coronavirus tests administered in a single day. According to state officials, 99,003 new tests were reported on Sunday.

Data from the Florida Department of Health shows that another 227 have been admitted to the hospital for treatment related to the coronavirus. In Florida, a total of 18,498 patients have received hospital care for the virus. The state now publishes numbers on currently hospitalized patients, the Florida Health Administration Agency dashboard reveals that 8,085 people are receiving treatment at a medical center due to complications with respiratory illness.

According to FDOH, 35 other people have died from COVID-19 since the agency’s latest report that brought the state’s death toll to 4,381, including 104 non-residents who have died in Florida.

RELATED: This is how Florida hospitals report current COVID-19 hospitalizations

As coronavirus cases continue to rise, parts of Central Florida have seen a high demand for coronavirus testing. Osceola Heritage Park extended its hours of operation for another week to help meet the need. The Volusia County Fairgrounds will also administer tests on Mondays and Tuesdays after backups in the labs forced the site to shut down for two days.

Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Saturday in which he addressed the demand for evidence and the delay in results.

“The laboratory’s resources are supported. Some of these response times are supposed to be 48 hours, some of these large commercial laboratories are three or four days late, ”he said. “Some of the supplies are running low. I am working with the White House to try to get more reagents for our hospitals. “

The governor said he hopes to have an update on more federal resources earlier this week to help mitigate delays in the lab by reporting the results of coronavirus tests. According to the White House, Vice President Mike Pence is expected to participate in a videoconference with the governors about the COVID-19 response on Monday afternoon.

Although Florida continues to see thousands of new cases reported, reopening procedures persist in Central Florida.

Walt Disney World reopened two of its theme parks on Saturday, welcoming thousands of people to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom with improved disinfection and safety procedures. The theme park company will reopen Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Disneyland becomes the company’s first theme park to close again due to another coronavirus outbreak in China.

After suffering a loss of more than $ 1 billion amid the current coronavirus pandemic, the Orange County Convention Center is also preparing for its first large-scale event since the shutdown. The convention center will house 17,000 people for the 2020 National Junior Amateur Athletic Union Athletic Volleyball Championship. The event begins on Tuesday and is expected to end on Thursday.

These large-scale reopens occur when Florida’s daily positivity rate is 12.9%. The positivity rate is the number of new positive cases compared to those tested on a given day. This metric hit a new record Thursday at 18.39%. Public health officials warned that local leaders should refrain from opening parts of the economy until the daily positivity rate remains consistently below 10%.

Below is the status panel. If you’re having trouble viewing the dashboard on your mobile device, click here.

If you’re having trouble viewing the dashboard on your mobile device, click here.

Here is a breakdown of coronavirus numbers by county in the Central Florida region:

Here is what you need to know about the coronavirus in Central Florida:

1. A record number of cases

Two central Florida counties have set new records for reported daily infections.

Marion County reports 153 new infections, which is the highest the region has reported in a 24-hour period since the pandemic began. His previous record was 145 new cases, reported on Friday.

Seminole County public health officials are reporting 237 new cases in their region, the highest number of new infections reported in one day. Her previous record was 236 cases reported on June 7.

2. Back to the classroom

Orange and Marion counties began summer learning programs with students reporting to the classroom. Orange County educational leaders said classrooms would be spaced with students who were required to wear masks. The district said there would be further cleanup measures. Much of the same procedures will be enacted during the Marion County Summer Learning Program, except that there will be no shared materials in the classroom and students will not be required to cover their faces.

Parents say the summer learning programs will be a test to help them make a decision about the next semester. In Marion County, parents will have until Wednesday to determine if their child will participate in online learning or report to school. Lake County parents have to decide between traditional learning at school, virtual school, or a combination of both before Monday.

PLUS: Here’s what we know about how Central Florida schools plan to reopen in August

3. Financing of the CARES Law

Orange County residents affected by financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic may not have another opportunity to apply for federal funds through the county’s CARES Act portal.

The portal reopened Monday at 8 a.m. and reached its capacity of 10,000 users 20 minutes later. The Individual and Family Assistance portal will no longer receive applicants, as it processes the latest wave of shipments. This is the fifth time the portal has been opened, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said it may be the last.

Flagler County leaders are ready to discuss how to use the $ 20 million received in federal funds Monday morning.

4. Coronavirus test

Central Florida counties are stepping up testing efforts by extending hours of operation and reopening the sites.

Orange County Health Services will offer free COVID-19 tests in Barnett Park Monday through Friday from 9 am to 1 pm Appointments are required and can be made online at ocfl.net/BarnettPark. People can also go to the Orange County Convention Center to test for coronaviruses and antibodies, no appointments required.

Osceola Heritage Park will be open for test drives Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm Health administrators are also educating patients on how to avoid contacting COVID-19.

The Volusia County Fairgrounds will resume testing for coronavirus on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 am to 5 pm

PLUS: This is where to get your coronavirus drive-thru test

To keep up to date with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6 coronavirus newsletter And go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.